Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century Part 1 (Third Edition)
by Buried Alien
Summary: All new edition for 2018!
1. Preface to the Third Edition

This is the third edition of _Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century_.

The first edition of the story, which was never published, was conceived and composed between 1991 and 1996. Owing to the fact that it was composed in a long obsolete format (and physically exists now only as hundreds of sheets of paper documents printed over two decades ago), and that the quality of the writing was not up to par, the first edition will never see the light of day.

The second edition of the story has been hosted here at FanFiction Dot Net for more than a decade. Its publication required several years of work between 2008 and 2012, not merely physically transcribing old paper text onto modern electronic word processing suitable for uploading, but rewriting various story elements that seemed like good ideas during the composition of the first draft in the 1990s, but after a decade's time for reflection, ranged from unsuitable to embarrassing.

Since the publication of the second edition between 2008-2012, I had entertained the possibility of composing and posting a third edition of the story. Though the second edition had eliminated or mitigated many of the flaws of the first edition, I found it nevertheless unsatisfactory on some levels. A big part of the problem was that I was composing the entire story by myself, and like any other writer, I have limits in terms of creativity. Moreover, though, I have been an avid fan of the Gundam franchise for more than thirty years, my technical understanding of some of its underlying aspects of its technological world was also limited. Finally, my understanding of military protocol and reality was and remains extremely limited.

Earlier this year, I had begun to seriously think about composing a third edition of the story, but I was ill-equipped to start because I ran into the same difficulties I did in composing the second edition. In the intervening years, I knew that I wanted to improve and enhance the story, but did not know precisely how to go about it.

Through good fortune, at precisely this time, a good friend and fan of the second edition of _Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century_ , who also publishes his own fanfiction here at FanFiction Dot Net under the name of J. Hellscythe, expressed interest in being a consultant and co-writer with me on the third edition. J. Hellscythe's input in multiple story elements, characterizations, technical and logistical data, etc., has been invaluable to the composition of the first chapter of the third edition. J. Hellscythe and two additional friends and fellow writers hyosuke and Ellis Alpha, have pitched in with numerous ideas to make this third edition of _The Second Century_ a new, though familiar experience.

The third edition of _Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century_ follows the same core of characters through the same general plot points familiar from the previous edition. J. Hellscythe, hyosuke, and Ellis Alpha, however, have added a wealth of depth and new twists that will make the familiar old story take on an entirely fresh and new feel. You may think you have read this story before, but in so many ways...you have not.

\- Buried Alien, June 3, 2018 (updated September 25, 2018)

J. Hellscythe here to say let's start the show! You're in for one amazing story boys and girls, and it has been both an honor and a privilege to work on this story.

-An Avid fan of Gundam and the Second Century Timeline… same date.


	2. Chapter 1: Athena Ibaz

**_In ancient times the Christians fought bloody battles for control over the birthplace of their religion, but there is no need for humanity to repeat this mistake over Earth._ \- Zeon Zum Deikun, UC 0068**

 ** _The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war._ \- General Douglas MacArthur, CE 1962**

Palace of the Zabis, Zum City, Side 3. January 17, UC 0089...

"Where is Lady Haman?!" bellows the hoarse voice of an Axis Zeon officer.

"Dead!" comes the snarled reply from another voice without a face.

"We won't be able to hold out against those Earthists for more than an hour or two!" a third voice strikes in.

"They're here, NOW!"

The final words uttered by the two voices, as multiple GM-III and Nemo mobile suits penetrate the colony airlocks, rushing in by the dozen, the distinctive cross emblem of the Earth Federation Space Forces emblazoned on their titanium arm shields.

A pair of Gaza D mobile suits led by a Dreissen unit valiantly stand their ground on the central boulevard cutting through the city, but to no avail. As the Gaza Ds fall to massed beam rifle fire from Federation GM-III units, the lone Dreissen draws forth its beam lancer and launches itself forward in a kamikaze charge against the advancing GM-IIIs, sweeping the primary cutting blade of its elongated beam weapon in an arc that beheads the GM-III in its path, and then jamming the beam saber of the weapon's opposite end towards an approaching green Nemo, incorporated into the Federation Forces from AEUG's arsenal.

The Nemo deftly jumps over the advancing yellow-bladed beam saber, pulling its own beam saber for a vicious stab through the Dreissen's midsection, neutralizing the gargantuan purple war machine before advancing towards the towering edifice rising approximately two klicks ahead.

"Unit 26 reporting in," the garbled voice of the Nemo pilot sounds scratchily through the tactical net, "Enemy units in this sector eliminated. We…"

The Nemo explodes into fragments of shrapnel as it is stricken down by the gunfire of two MS-06F Zaku IIs. Even as the Nemo falls, however, three more units arrive to replace it, making quick work of the opposing Zakus.

They are Her Majesty, the Grand Duchess Mineva Lao Zabi's bravest, most dedicated mobile suit combat pilots, heedless of their own lives in defense of their monarch and their nation, but great though their valor, all of them know in their hearts that they are too heavily outnumbered to accomplish much more than stalling for time...time that was running out...time enough for Her Majesty to find safe quarter.

Within the Duchal Throne Chamber, Axis Zeon's highest ranking and most experienced surviving military officers confer on their best course of action. A glorious final stand here at the palace? A kamikaze charge to take as many Earthists with them? A strategic retreat to return to fight another day?

Their martial voices, vociferous though they be, are drowned out by the sounds of explosions that draw ever closer, shaking the walls and foundations even of the Zabi's stalwart fortress home.

The officers form a protective ring around a girl, no more than ten years of age, whose soulful green eyes shine like emeralds and belie her youth.

"You will all disperse our remaining forces to the Asteroid Belt," intones the child's voice, as authoritative and confident as a woman three times her age, "I know all of you are fearless and dedicated, but I will not be party to your perishing here in a futile gesture of bravado."

Rear Admiral Omar Damascus of the Suez Armada bows and salutes as he demurs, "Your Majesty, with respect to your royal authority, we have vowed to defend the homeland to the last drop of our blood! We will not flee like cowards from those Earthist dogs!"

Mineva's eyes flash furiously, "My late father treated the fate of his people as the most sacred responsibility. As his only daughter, I can do no less."

A murmur of dissent rises amidst Zeon's flag-ranking officers.

"I remain your sovereign!" the ten-year-old monarch proclaims with a strength scarcely conceivable for one so young, "You will obey my commands, forthwith!"

The collective flag-ranking officers of the Axis Zeon Forces salute their diminutive sovereign with their nation's signature salute, "Sieg, ZEON!"

As her officers depart to carry out her final orders, Duchess Mineva calls to one of them, "Admiral Miguel…"

"Your Majesty," Admiral Carmine Miguel of the Phobos Armada, a man mighty of body, mind, and spirit, rejoins with obeisance, taking his youthful liege's side.

"I have specific directives for you, Admiral," Duchess Mineva tells him in sotto voce, "Stay with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty…," Miguel replies, "but I suggest that…"

The Duchess holds up her hand for Miguel's silence.

Dory Ischinda, the Duchess's 18-year-old personal attendant and closest confidante for as long as the Duchess can remember, takes the liberty that is hers alone to speak her mind in the Duchess's presence, "Your Majesty, I respectfully urge you to allow Admiral Miguel and the others to take you to a place of safety. Then, we can…"

"What good is it for me to live," the Duchess interjects, "if the people of Zeon die or find themselves slaves and prisoners of the Earth Federation? Our people deserve better than that, Dory, but the ways of my forefathers and Lady Haman have brought them to ruination time and again. We must...I must do something differently."

Before Dory can reply, the overwhelming din of mobile suit landing jets rises above all other sound, like the shriek of a thousand banshees…

Fortified though it is perhaps better than any other edifice on Earth or in the cosmos, no stationary structure constructed primarily for human habitation can endure for long against the vast power of mobile suits. Hence, the resilient, but nevertheless vincible walls of the Palace of Zabi collapse under the collective force of a trio of GM-IIIs.

"We're from the Earth Federation Forces," a voice booms from the external speaker of the lead GM-III, "We demand your immediate surrender! We are prepared to respond with lethal force if you resist!"

"Your Majesty!" Dory cries out, bravely shielding the tiny ruler of the Archduchy of Zeon with her own body.

"Dory!" Duchess Mineva demands, "Get off of me!"

Admiral Miguel draws his sidearm, pointing it futilely at the GM-IIIs.

His upward gaze then catches an improbable sight.

 _One of ours…?_

An RMS-099B Schuzrum Dias, derived from AEUG's RMS-099 Rick Dias unit.

 _Those aren't our colors_ , Miguel thinks to himself, _and I'm certain that we didn't have any of these units left. Who…?_

The Schuzrum Dias abruptly piledrives two of the GM-III units, literally stomping them into the ground with its weight. With a speed and skill that few could match, the pilot the Schuzrum Dias then extracts and sweeps its weapon...a beam lancer taken from a Dreissen unit, decapitating the remaining GM-III. The Federation mobile suit, blinded, momentarily stumbles around, off balance, before the lone Schuzrum Dias collapses it with a well-placed kick to its midsection.

"Pilot, identify yourself!" Admiral Miguel demands.

The young Duchess, having forced her head from under Dory's cover, looks up at the mass of the Schuzrum Dias, experiencing a sense of recognition similar to, but far more intense than deja vu.

 _Char...Char Aznable…_

The cockpit hatch of the Mobile Suit opens, and a pilot garbed in a scarlet, AEUG-type normal suit emerges from within.

The pilot opens the visor of his helmet, revealing the notorious, handsome visage of Char Aznable, the Red Comet of Zeon...lately known as Captain Quattro Bajeena of the AEUG.

"You," Admiral Miguel snarls, "You're supposed to be DEAD, Char…"

"You people always seem to think so," Char retorts with a cold smile, "and you've been wrong every time. We have no time for pleasantries, Carmine, old friend. Surrender the Duchess to my custody. I assure you she will be safe in my care."

Carmine Miguel thrusts his side arm towards Char, cocking its trigger and keening in a dark, low voice, "If the Duchess stays, the Federation will either execute her, or force her into an arranged marriage so they can control her… in that case, she may as well be dead."

"None of that will come to pass if you trust my judgment," Char replies with preternatural calm.

Knowing that he has no choice but to put his trust in the man called the Red Comet, Admiral Carmine Miguel turns to the Duchess, who is already on her feet and running towards the Schuzrum Dias.

"Your Majesty, no!" Dory protests.

"Dory," the Duchess Mineva replies, turning back to look at her old friend one last time, "This is the best way. I must. Admiral Miguel..."

"Your Majesty," the Zeon fleet commander responds with deference.

The last words Miguel would hear from his Duchess, "Lead our people to the Asteroid Belt. Rebuild Zeon there, and do not enter the Earth Sphere again."

The Duchess turns to Char Aznable, "Colonel Char...take me away from here. Take me away from all this."

His sidearm trained on Miguel, Char gently helps the Duchess into the cockpit of his mobile suit with his free hand. The child monarch straps herself into the auxiliary seat.

Admiral Miguel lowers his sidearm and glowers at Char,"You will make sure I receive proper status updates?"

"That can be arranged," the Red Comet replies, "With the exception of her location."

"If you fail to protect her," Miguel says through bared teeth, "All of Zeon will hunt you down and scatter your corpse across the stars, Colonel Char."

For insurance, and perhaps for symbolic purposes, Char takes a perfectly aimed, perfectly timed shot at Miguel's weapon from his own swiftly drawn sidearm, rendering Miguel's weapon useless, but leaving the commanding admiral of the Phobos Armada with nothing worse than a throbbing, aching hand. Carmine is an old mentor and friend, after all, and Char has few of those left…

His weapon having spoken for him, Char Aznable disappears into the cockpit of his mobile suit, seals its hatch, and jets away.

Char had given Mineva a normal suit upon launching the Schuzrum Dias away from the Zum City colony, which the Duchess had donned over her royal raiment. They had flown about two hours outside of Side 3 airspace when they came across a shuttle, which Mineva guessed Char had arranged to rendezvous with them.

"Who are they?" the Duchess asks.

"The Mass Family," Char replies, "Former Earth Federation Senator Teabolo Mass and his wife, Amelia. They raised my sister and me after…"

An awkward silence ensues...neither man nor girl knowing what, if anything, is appropriate to say next. It is simply understood, as it always had been, and would always need be.

"You hate me, don't you…?" Mineva whispers, her voice barely audible above the mobile suit's cockpit noises.

"Our rendezvous is approaching," is the only response Mineva hears from the enigmatic figure known as Char Aznable. Like the rest of the world, Mineva had assumed Char had died more than a year ago, at the climactic battle at the Gate of Zedan that ended the Gryps Conflict.

"Sir Percy to Shuttle _Anagelis_ ," Char speaks into a specially encrypted wavelength, "we…"

 _Spark...flash!_

"Hang on...we've got a bogie," Char indicates, bringing the Schuzrum Dias's weapon systems online.

"Col. Char…" Mineva begins.

"Keep quiet and hunker down," Char replies curtly.

The Schuzrum Dias's combat computer delivers ID data on the bogie: RMS-119 Eyezack, the reconnaissance variant of the Titans' RMS-106 Hizack.

"Can't afford to let him scan and ID us," Char notes to Mineva, by way of explanation as he lines up the Schuzrum Dias's beam rifle in a bead on the Eyezack.

The aim...the shot...the hit...perfectly stricken, but Char is so focused on the target that he does not appear cognizant of the second mobile suit approaching from 1 o'clock high…

"NO!" the Duchess leans forward to grab the control lever and pull its trigger, unleashing a blast of beam energy that catches the enemy unit square in the monoeye, blinding its camera unit and disorienting its pilot.

Scan ID identifies the unit as a RMS-106S Hizack Custom. Char had encountered two of these during the Gryps Conflict, and they had given his MSN-00100 Hyakushiki all it could handle.

Char does not need this data to dispatch it with a deft slice of the Schuzrum Dias's beam saber, rending the Hizack Custom from top to bottom, and backing the Dias away from the blast radius as the Hizack expands into a balloon of flame.

Char hears Mineva's panting in his helmet monitor, "You all right, Tina?"

Mineva takes a moment to catch her breath before answering, "I'm….Tina?"

"You aren't the Duchess Mineva Zabi anymore," Char says plainly, "You're Christina Mass...called 'Tina' by those close to you. You're the adopted younger daughter of Teabolo and Amelia Mass, and youngest sibling of Edward Mass and Sayla Mass."

"I'm…" Mineva... _Tina_ begins, initially confused, but quickly comprehending.

"That was a good shot," Char continues, a slight grin creeping his voice, "How long have you been shooting?"

"I….never," Tina Mass replies.

"Remarkable," Char comments, "You have latent abilities that have not, until now, been manifest."

The Schuzrum Dias stops just short of the shuttle, whose access hatch opens.

"We're ditching the Dias," Char says, preparing his normal suit's propulsion pack, "Hold on to me."

So saying, Char programs the Dias's self-destruct system to detonate in five minutes.

The former Duchess of Zeon surrenders herself into Char's embrace; the Red Comet engages his normal suit's propulsion pack, and the pair cross the void to the waiting shuttle's access hatch, where they are received by waiting crew members who wear Earth Federation Government normal suits.

The shuttle departs just as the Schuzrum Dias self-destructs.

* * *

"Where are we going anyway?" the newly christened Tina Mass asks reasonably.

"Anman City," Char answers, "we need to refuel before our final destination."

"Which is where?" Tina demands, a trace of royal imperiousness still evident in her voice.

"You'll find out when we're on the way," Char responds, "Now put this on."

Tina takes the unfamiliar garment from Char.

"A schoolgirl's uniform," Char informs her, somewhat unnecessarily, as Tina had seen them before and knew what they were, "cut in your size and perfect to make you inconspicuous."

Char hands her one final item, a blue flat cap matching the schoolgirl's uniform.

"Dressing locker is that way," Char points to the aft of the shuttle.

* * *

"Perfect!" Char grins ten minutes later.

Tina Mass, 5th Grader from the venerable Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz in Switzerland. Daughter of retired Earth Federation Senator Teabolo Mass. Currently on a state visit to Anman City.

"Col. Char," a voice comes from the cockpit over the intercom system, "We're fifteen minutes from landing at Anman Spaceport."

* * *

As they walk through the streets of Anman City, Char notices a particular McDonalds with which he is intimately familiar. This is no ordinary fast food restaurant, but to those in the loop, a modest, but important AEUG intel station where critical information was exchanged and plans made during the Gryps Conflict.

Seeing the value of up-to-date information, Char decides to head in.

"Why are we here?" Tina asks her adoptive older brother.

"It's lunch time, and I figure we could get you your first Happy Meal," Char answers.

Mineva tilts her head to the side as she echoes the words, "Happy Meal? What is this 'Happy Meal?'"

"WHAT?!" the girl behind the cash register gasps, bless her soul, upon hearing this. "You've never had a Happy Meal before?!"

"I can't say that I have," little Tina answers sheepishly, "is there...something wrong with that?"

"SOMEBODY GET THIS KID A HAPPY MEAL ON THE DOUBLE WITH AN EXTRA HELPING OF LOVE," the flamboyant cashier shouts to the kitchen before turning to the now mortified nine-year old and saying with extravagant tenderness, "Everything's gonna be okay… You're going to have your first Happy Meal, and I promise it will be the most amazing experience of your life at this point!"

"Um…." is all Tina can manage, mystified by this cryptic "Happy Meal."

A minute later, the cashier returns with a red plastic tray bearing a kind of food consisting of a disc of grilled meat between two circular bread buns, and a small box of unfamiliar yellow sticks with which Tina is unfamiliar.

"Enjoy!" the cashier enthuses, patting Tina on top of her flat cap,"You'll be lovin ' it!"

Tina takes her tray to one of the colorful tables. She draws out one of the unfamiliar yellow sticks, hot to the touch, and sniffs it uncertainly.

Char grins, "They're called french fries. They're made of potatoes."

Tina takes a tentative bite from the french fry, and grins with delight, "You MUST bring me more of these!"

"Finish the ones you have first," Char says, as he notes a familiar, lean gentleman clad in a dark purple suit briskly enter the dining area and disappear into an office in the establishment's rear, exchanging a quick glance and nod with the Red Comet.

"You take your time here," Char tells Tina, who is still working on the fries, "I need to talk to somebody."

* * *

A knock comes on the door of Wong Lee's office.

"Come in, Captain Bageena," Wong says in his dry tone.

Char...Captain Quattro Bageena, enters the room.

"Mr. Wong," Char greets Anaheim Enterprises' chief liaison to AEUG.

"Captain," Wong replies, "It's been a long time. I was quite assured that appearances to the contrary, you were not dead."

"I went deep cover after the Gate of Zedan," Char answers, "It put me in a position where I could be more effective against the Axis."

"Undoubtedly," Wong remarks noncommittally, "the child in your company…?"

"A relative," Char answers promptly and steadily.

"Undoubtedly," Wong repeats, his tone cryptic, and then abruptly changes the subject, "Now that the Titans and Axis are no more, what remains of AEUG must reassess its stance towards the Earth Federation."

"The Earth Federation," Char begins with a sigh, "as it currently stands might be beyond all salvation. Ineffectualness and corruption are embedded into its bones."

"Be that as it may," Wong observes, "the Federation is the only major power left standing."

"Standing?" Char retorts with a bitter laugh, "More like tottering. But I didn't come here to discuss these matters. I've come to formally resign my commission with AEUG."

Wong makes a mock hurt sound, "That is regrettable...you are young, and talented. There is so much more you could do for our cause."

"Your cause," Char exhales, turning his back to Wong,"is not mine. Not anymore. I have my own cause to serve."

"Like that little girl enjoying a Happy Meal in the dining area," Wong replies sinisterly.

Char stops in his tracks, but does not answer the Anaheim Electronics official.

Wong leans back in his chair, "We do have one more loose end: the Sovereign of Zeon, Mineva Zabi. She went missing after that final battle at Core Three. The Earth Federation authorities and our own personnel were unable to locate her. Mostly likely, Duchess Mineva Zabi is alive and remains at large."

"That is your problem to solve," Char answers, "not mine."

"This is farewell, then," Wong says, offering his hand to Char, "You have been a valuable ally, Captain."

Char does not take Wong's extended hand, but turns to him and offers a cryptic grin, "Hopefully, it is…oh, and if your goons touch a hair on that child's head, Wong, then I'll be the last thing you ever see."

* * *

Char rejoins Tina in the dining area of the restaurant; the girl has not touched her cheeseburger, but has already started a second round of those fascinating french fries…

Char sits next to Tina, removes his opaque shades, and draws a hand tiredly across his eyes.

"Your meeting with that gentleman in the purple suit didn't go well, did it?" asks Tina, sipping a milkshake...again, something new to her.

"What makes you say that?" Char answers with a slight grin.

"If you had expected that it would, I don't think you would have left me with this," answers Tina, flashing the silver Marakov automatic pistol in the inner pocket of her peacoat, slipped to her by Char just before his meeting with Wong Lee.

"You're perceptive for your age," Char observes.

"Being in my position made that necessary," Tina whispers, and then, indicating the pistol, "I should give this back to you now."

"Keep it," Char answers, "It was a graduation gift to me from your Uncle Garma."

"Uncle Garma," Tina repeats, "I never got to know him."

"I knew him very well," Char sighs, regret in his voice, "He would have wanted for you to have it."

"Colonel Char," Tina begins, uncertain what to say.

"Better put that away for now," Char tells Tina, "In time, I will train you how to use it. Right now, it's time to meet your new caretakers."

"Senator Mass?" Tina responds, eyes going wide.

Char nods with a grin, "The Senator and my father were good friends. He and his wife Amelia will raise you as their own, as they did my sister and me."

* * *

"Welcome home, Tina," comes the warm, mellifluous voice of retired Earth Federation Senator Teabolo Mass, a kindly, gentle-looking man in his late sixties or early seventies, "We have been awaiting you."

"She's adorable!" enthuses the senator's wife, an elegant and beneficent woman.

A long shuttle ride into Earth's atmosphere followed an uneventful landing at Switzerland's Zurich Aerospace Port.

"Sir...ma'am," Tina says politely, taking their welcoming, outstretched hands, unsure how to address them.

Nearby, GM-III mobile suits patrol the aerospace port grounds, producing a feeling far removed from security in the pit of Tina's stomach.

Senator Mass smiles reassuringly, "No need to be apprehensive, Tina. You are with family now. I am Teabolo, and this is my wife Amelia. You will be living with us at our estate in St. Moritz."

Tina nods, then slumps into arms of Teabolo and Amelia as Char supports her by the arm.

"I'm feeling...," Tina begins, suddenly dizzy and nauseous.

"You spent your entire life in low gravity," Char says, "You aren't accustomed to Earth's gravity."

Tina nods, this being only her second time on the planetary surface, the first being a state visit to the Earth Federation capital in Dakar, Senegal, when she was still known as the Duchess Mineva Zabi, more than a year ago...now seeming like another lifetime, which it essentially was.

Teabolo lifts Tina protectively in his arms, "You'll feel better in the mountain air when we reach home. Why not sleep until then? You are tired."

Within a few moments, a helicopter arrives, escorted by a pair of NRX-044 Asshimar mobile armors in hovercraft configuration. The wizened senator, his wife, Mineva, and Char board the aircraft, which soon whisks them to the Mass Estate in the Alps.

* * *

"I hope that you will provide her the same kindly care that you provided to Artasia and me, sir," Char says several hours later, at the palatial estate of the Masses at St. Moritz.

"She will receive only the best," Senator Mass assures his adopted son, "just as you and your sister did. She will be loved and educated as befits a duchess, but I am curious...why? I was under the impression that you hated the Zabis and wanted to exterminate them to the last."

Char is silent for a moment before answering, "She is like another sister to me. Her forebears' sins are not hers. She should not pay the price for them."

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there," the senator probes, pouring Char a cup of hot cocoa, "I sense that you have other plans for little Tina."

Char sighs, "I scarcely know my own plans, let alone plans for anyone else. It is my hope, however, that when she grows to be a woman, she will continue any work that I leave unfinished."

"Unfinished," Amelia repeats worriedly.

"Where is she now?" Char asks.

"Sleeping the sleep of the innocent," Teabolo beams.

Char leaves his adoptive parents in the kitchen and enters the bedroom that has been set aside for Tina, who sleeps comfortably on the bed. Char touches the child's cheeks with brotherly fondness.

Tina opens her eyes, her gaze falling upon Char's handsome visage, "Colonel Char…"

Tina throws her arms around her adoptive elder brother, "Are you leaving again?"

Char strokes Tina's hair fondly, "Yes. It is time for me to go."

Tina asks, "Where? Will you be back again?"

Char answers her directly, "I have much to do, but I will be here to see you when I can. There is much I need to tell you and teach you...in time. In the meantime, you will remain here. Senator Teabolo has already arranged for you to study at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz. You will begin your studies when the new semester begins in a few weeks."

"I'd rather travel with you," Tina confesses, "Senator Teabolo and Madame Amelia are very kind, but I would rather join you…"

"You cannot," Char rejoins, releasing himself from the child's embrace, "your time will come, but for now, your place is here, to learn...to strengthen yourself, mentally, emotionally, physically. There might come a day when all will depend on you."

So saying, Char takes Tina into his arms once again, and comforts the former Duchess of Zeon until she drifts into the oblivion of sleep once again.

* * *

 _The Mass Estate, St. Moritz, Switzerland, three years later...early UC 0092…_

Humaniform practice targets circle at high speed, almost too quick for the human eye to follow except as a blur. Two are perfectly lined up for a fraction of a second, and are immolated together by a single, crackling shot that shatters them both simultaneously!

A quick twist, spin, and a glimpse of red hair. Another shot is unleashed, penetrating precisely through the heart of a second target.

The rapid and graceful swivel of an arm that the eyes do not follow. The squeeze of a trigger. A third target flattened.

Footsteps so light that they are effectively inaudible. Three shots fired in quick succession. Three more targets blasted out of motion.

Thirteen-year-old Tina Mass lowers her small silver Marakov handgun, smoke still drifting from its muzzle.

The sound of gunshots fade, replaced by the sound of a single pair of hands, applauding.

Tina's eyes widen and she grins with recognition and delight at the source of the applause.

"Colonel Char!" Tina enthuses, rushing into the arms of the man known as the Red Comet.

Clad in a grey business suit with a black necktie, Char appears familiar, and yet quite different from how he appeared when he brought Tina to St. Moritz three years earlier. His magnificent mane of golden blonde hair is cropped shorter and slicked back, giving him the appearance of a 1930s film star.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Tina gushes, barely able to contain her joy, "It's been more than a year since you last came to see me! Where have you been?"

Char answers with a gentle smile, "I have been watching you practice for the past few minutes. Your skills have improved remarkably since I last visited. You've mastered what I've taught you about marksmanship."

"I practice often," Tina tells her adoptive elder brother, holstering the weapon that he gifted to her, "It helps take my mind off...other things."

"The Senator and Madame Amelia tell me you've been doing well at the Lyceum," Char offers.

"Yes," Tina affirms, "I'm not supposed to even be in high school until next year, but as it is, I've completed enough coursework that I should be completing high school in fewer than two years."

Char nods, "And the Senator has told me that you're wrecking the curve for everybody else in your class. Well done, Tina. I am proud of you. There are things, however, that can only be learned outside of the classroom."

"I know that," Tina answers, "and I hope that before long, you'll take me with you to learn beside you."

Char shakes his head and smiles ruefully, "That will not be possible, Tina. This...might be the last time I will visit you."

"Last time?" Tina's eyes widen in alarm, "What do you mean?"

Char removes his dark sunglasses, "I have plans for the near future. Very important plans...perhaps the most important plans I've ever made, but I cannot know the outcome."

Tina, struggling to hold her emotions in check, can only say, "Colonel Char, I…"

Char puts his hands on her shoulders lovingly, "It's my hope that we will meet again, but if not, Tina...Mineva, learn from my mistakes. Don't make the mistakes that I did."

Tina...Mineva, buries herself in Char's embrace. He holds her for a long, long time.

* * *

 _Late March, UC 0093…_

Withers, the Mass Family's loyal butler, knocks on the door of Senator Teabolo Mass's study.

"Come in, Withers," the aging senator responds.

Withers enters the private chamber, where Teabolo sits with his wife, Amelia and their youngest adopted child, Tina.

Withers announces gravely, "A Colonel Jack Spencer is here to see you, Master Teabolo. He says he bears important information about….Master Edward."

Teabolo nods, closing his eyes, "Please ask him in."

A few minutes later, Withers escorts in a middle-aged gentleman, dressed in a black suit and tie, his weatherworn eyes covered by dark shades.

"Senator Teabolo Mass," Col. Jack Spencer says solemnly, "I'm Spencer. Jack Spencer. I've come to tell you that….your son, Edward, has been confirmed dead."

Amelia breaks down into sobs, while Tina, comforting her adoptive mother, struggles to contain her own. In her youthful, fiery green eyes, there is anger and a sense of deep loss.

Senator Mass's eyes are moist when he finds his voice, "We...had some awareness that it was likely so. Even so, this confirmation…"

Jack puts a comforting hand on the old man's shoulder, then turns to the redheaded teenage girl...Tina, regally beautiful at age fourteen.

"You must be Tina, Edward's sister," Jack says.

"I am," Tina replies, choking back tears.

Jack nods, "Edward spoke highly and fondly of you. He wants you to be his legacy, and he wanted you to have this."

So saying, Jack hands Tina what appears to be a trinket...equally suitable to be worn as an earring, finger band, or pendant.

Tina accepts the trinket, looking at it sadly, wishing it could speak.

"Did my brother have anything else to say?" Tina asks in a whisper.

"Only this," Jack replies, "don't make the mistakes that we did. Do it better. Do it right."

Tina extends her hand to Jack, "Thank you, Col. Spencer."

Jack extends his left hand to Mineva...a hand of cold, gleaming metal.

"A little memento of the One Year War," Jack remarks dryly, "Just one of many, many reasons these crusades have to end."

"Yes," Tina concurs, somewhat flatly.

"Will you be our guest tonight, Col. Spencer?" Senator Mass cuts in.

"Thank you, Senator," Jack replies, "but that won't be necessary. I have obligations elsewhere, and a little girl who hasn't seen her father for quite a while now… But thank you for your hospitality. You're good people...a rare enough thing these days."

Col. Spencer takes his leave of the Masses, leaving them to grieve the loss of their son and sibling in privacy.

* * *

Tina takes the trinket that Char gave her into her room, lies on her bed, and allows herself to break into the sobs she did not want Teabolo and Amelia to see or hear. She could put on a brave front for others, but now...she could give release to her feelings.

Little does she know it would be the final time for many years.

Tina examines the trinket carefully...her mind clears, and she notices...this is no ordinary piece of jewelry.

 _Printed circuitry...a data chip?_

Tina uses a delicate finger to delicately dig around the structure of the trinket….crimson red and likely 100% authentic ruby, and extends a hidden USB connector.

Tina inserts the chip into her personal computer. The screen lights up.

"My Dear Tina...for your eyes only…"

* * *

 _Late Spring, UC 0094_

Spring Semester has come again to the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, the elite academic institute nestled amidst the natural beauty of the Alpine peaks. The students hardly have the time to appreciate the grandeur of their natural surroundings, however, focused as they are on preparing for their semester-ending final exams in a few weeks.

Tina Mass is no exception, her attention absorbed in an advanced political theory textbook. Though only fifteen years old, Tina has completed enough coursework that she will be graduating with the senior class at the end of June...by far the youngest member of the graduating class.

Tina senses an object...a soccer ball... hurtling towards her at high velocity, and manages to dodge the incoming sphere just in time to avoid impact.

Tina lifts the ball into her delicate hand, glaring in the direction of whichever hooligan just couldn't keep his toy out of her way…

Her heart skips a beat as Jordan Vance, senior and captain of the Lyceum's soccer team, approaches.

"Oh, Tina! Sorry!" Jordan apologizes, "My bad! That was a horrible kick! Sorry I almost nailed you!"

Tina hands the ball back to Jordan, not quite sure why she feels a hot flush in her face, "No harm done."

"Thanks," Jordan, a handsome 17-year-old with dark, full hair and soulful blue eyes replies as he takes the ball from Tina, "Hey...are you going to be busy on Friday night?"

"No," Tina answers, "My finals will be done by then. What's up?"

Jordan bounces the ball on his knee and chest as he answers, "Student protest rally against the government's mistreatment of the citizens at Side 3. I know you're from Side 3, and you have an interest in poli-sci, so I thought maybe you'd want to join in."

Tina thinks about that for a moment. Political agitation has been nothing uncommon in the First Universal Century, and that agitation has reached even here, to the schools of the elite on Earth.

"I'm in," Tina says, using her knee to steal the ball from Jordan, then kicking it around, defying the captain of the soccer team to catch her.

"Hey!" Jordan protests, "Come back with that!"

Tina outmaneuvers Jordan and kicks the ball into the goal.

"Whew!" Jordan enthuses, "I forgot for a moment that YOU were the captain of the soccer team last year, until you got kicked off the team after beating the captain of the opposing team within an inch of his life for a dirty play against our team. I tell you: I still think they did you wrong, Tina!"

"Forget it," Tina replies, handing the ball to Jordan again, "I've got more on my mind than soccer these days."

"Hey!" comes the voice of Veronica Leeds, a 16-year old junior with two other friends, Liz Moon and Madison Peres, "Look at those two lovebirds getting it on!"

Tina takes the soccer ball from Jordan again and CHUCKS it at the three laughing girls, managing to bounce it off all three of them in one throw.

Jordan whistles, "You know, sometimes, I think you're supernatural."

Tina smiles, saying nothing.

* * *

Friday afternoon comes, and Tina is with Veronica, Liz, and Madison hastily painting up a protest sign that they plan to carry to the rally in the St. Moritz town square.

"END OPPRESSION OF SPACENOIDS!" is painted in black, the font suggestive of dripping blood. The banner also features printed photographic images of the Earth Federation's atrocities at Side 3 and other space colonies.

"Perfect!" Veronica enthuses, "Everybody will see this!"

"It's good enough on short notice," Tina amends, "We only had a few hours to get this ready."

"You don't think we'll all get in trouble for this," Liz asks somewhat timidly, "My mom and dad says we shouldn't get involved in stuff like this."

"If you're afraid of getting involved," Tina remarks dryly, "they already own you."

So saying, Tina goes in search of rods on which to post her sign.

"What's up with that bitch?!" Veronica demands when Tina is out of earshot.

"Tina has always been a stuck up know-it-all," Maddie remarks, "She isn't like the rest of us."

"But she's usually right about things," Liz offers, fairly.

"'Right' my ass," Veronica answers dismissively, "she probably just wanted to be alone with Jordan, that hus…"

"Veronica," comes Tina's voice behind the elder girl.

"Oh!" Veronica spins, startled, "You!"

Tina hands her the rods and offers her most charming smile, "Please be a dear and help me glue these rods to the sign."

"Right," Veronica sighs, to the giggles of Liz and Madison.

The girls assemble their sign together, and Maddie finds herself unable to resist asking, "You know, Tina...speaking of our moms and dads, isn't YOUR dad a big shot in the Earth Federation Government? I heard he used to be a senator or something...a really important one."

"He was," Tina replies plainly, helping the other two girls to glue the rods to the banner, "That was a very long time ago. He retired from the Federation government years before any of us were even born."

"I knew it," Veronica remarks wryly, "Adopted. But isn't your old man going to be peeved at you for getting into something like this, Tina?"

"He understands," Tina answers, "He always does."

* * *

St. Moritz town square, roughly an hour later...near sunset.

Tina, Jordan, Veronica, Liz, and Madison carry their banner at the head of a group of at least four dozen Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz students, along with professors, lecturers, and deans from their school, and an even greater number of assorted denizens of the town. They number at least five-hundred people…

"SHAME ON THE EARTH FEDERATION!"

"BUTCHERS! MURDERERS!"

"CONTOLISM AND PEACE!"

"JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE OF SPACE!"

For the first hour, the protests are relatively peaceful...there are shouts, screams, and even some tuneless singing, but nothing suggesting violence…

"Hey, heads up!" Jordan Vance points up the main boulevard.

A platoon of Earth Federation Forces Military Police, clad in body armor and riot gear, march towards the protesters with an armored vehicle following behind them.

"Those pigs have brought in their goons!" somebody yells.

A voice issues forth from the speakers of the armored vehicle, "EVERYONE DISPERSE TO YOUR HOMES! WE ARE DISSOLVING THIS UNLAWFUL GATHERING!"

"Unlawful?!" the voices of the people jeer.

"DISPERSE NOW," the voice from the armored vehicle repeats, "THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!"

 _This is going to go horribly wrong_ , Tina thinks to herself, but does not utter.

"Disperse, THIS!" Jordan rages through clenched teeth, picking up a stone from the ground and hurling it at the armored vehicle. The stone bounces off the metallic shell harmlessly.

The armored vehicle extends a high-powered hydro cannon and unleashes a torrent of water into the crowd, knocking dozens of people, including elderly folk and young children down.

"Damn BRUTES!" Jordan rages, charging at one of the armor-clad MPs.

Tina's forehead sparks with alarm, "Jordan, DON'T!"

The startled MP opens fire with his firearm, tearing a hole through Jordan Vance's chest!

Screams break out among the crowd as people begin trampling each other...fleeing in terror or charging the Federation Forces MPs in outrage and hate.

Tina shimmies her way through the pandemonium to kneel by her dying classmate. She takes his hand, "Jordan…"

Dark blood erupts forth from Jordan's mouth. His shocked and aggrieved parents come to his side from where they had been observing, nearby, attempting to comfort their son in his final moments.

"Tina! TIIIIIIINNAAAAA!" comes the horrified shriek of Liz Moon.

Tina turns her head to see Veronica Leeds' limp body cradled in Liz's lap, a gunshot wound in Veronica's head leaking the girl's lifeblood.

Tina sees another trooper bearing down on Liz and Madison from behind.

"SHIT!" Tina snarls, launching herself forward to knock the trooper down with a flying tackle to the man's knees. She brings him down just before he can get a shot off, but is unable to lay hold of his weapon as it flies from his grasp.

Sitting her meager 43 kg atop the fallen trooper, Tina punches the man out cold with surprising force, but before she can stand, a half dozen more troopers swarm around her, beating her and the others senseless with their truncheons and smothering them with their bulk.

Tina barely recalls being handcuffed and thrown into an MP vehicle before passing out…

* * *

Tina awakes...a few minutes...a few hours later? She has a throbbing headache...and aches in about a dozen other bruised spots running the length of her body. She checks herself...nothing broken, at least.

She is confined in a small, dark room...a jail cell, she quickly surmises. She wonders if Liz and Madison are all right.

 _Jordan_ , Tina recalls, a wave of heartache washing over her.

Her body aching from the multiple blows she received from the Federation troopers' steel truncheons, Tina is relieved to learn that at the very least, her hands are free of the manacles with which the troopers had bound her when they took her down on the street.

Tina looks around the confines of her cell. The metal door of the cell has a window, but it is covered by a grating accessible only from the outside.

After a long time, Tina hears heavy footsteps, and the door of her cell bursts abruptly open. A burly Federation MP, whom Tina, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, recognizes as the one she had tackled and knocked out, lurches into the room.

Tina barely manages to suppress a laugh as she sees the trooper's nose bandaged, but her desire to laugh quickly subsides as she spies a lustful gleam in his eye.

"You bloodied my nose out there tonight, sweetie," the Federation MP says menacingly, approaching close enough that Tina can make out the identification on the chest of his uniform jacket, "Pfc. A. Morrison."

Morrison, who doesn't quite seem sober, finishes his threat, "...and for bloodying me, you're gonna pay with some blood of your own. But don't worry...I wouldn't dream of bloodying up that pretty face of yours. I got something else in mind entirely…"

Tina, knowing exactly what Morrison means, backs towards the wall...until there is no more space left.

Tina launches a powerful kick with her right leg that sends Morrison sprawling back against the door. Had Tina been at full strength, the kick almost certainly would have been enough to knock Morrison out cold, but weakened by injury, Tina is unable to deliver a knockout kick.

Morrison, his eyes bearing as much rage as lust now, charges animalistically at Tina again, knocking her back against the bench/bed of the cell.

Tina gasps for air as Morrison's weight, easily three times her own, bears down upon her. More alarmingly, Tina feels Morrison's meaty hand reaching up her skirt, caressing the skin of her thighs and buttocks, reaching for the hem of her underpants.

Tina feels around Morrison's mass, knowing generally where his armaments are distributed across his uniform. As Morrison's pudgy fingers draw Tina's panties down, Tina's fingers unclasp a leather case, lay hold of a metallic handle, and pull a gleaming blade free.

Without a moment's hesitation, Tina plunges the blade deep into Morrison's back, behind his solar plexus. Morrison screams in pain and terror as blood spurts from the gaping wound. Tina bites her teeth down hard and draws the knife viciously upward towards Morrison's neck, gutting Morrison open like a fish. The Federation MP's blood splatters on Tina's face, hair, clothing, and hands.

Morrison crumples to the ground, unmoving, blood still leaking from his wound.

Tina rises, straightening her clothing as best she can, spitting out blood and kicking Morrison's corpse one more time out of spite. She searches the body, and from a holster, pulls out the dead trooper's sidearm.

"You won't be needing that," a man's voice issues forth from the cell door.

Tina spins around, the slain Morrison's handgun in her hand, preparing to open fire upon the source of the voice, only for the man to move at borderline superhuman speed to take the weapon from her.

"I am not your enemy," he whispers harshly.

"Then who are you, and why are you here?" the teen demands.

"My name is Ryusuke Kenta," the man answers, "and my friend Jack asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Colonel Spencer," Tina exhales, with surprise.

Kenta nods as takes the keys from the deceased MP and steps into the hall, where Tina can finally see him clearly… his brown hair is kept in a long ponytail, under a wide-brimmed fedora that gives him the appearance of a Western cowboy with the addition of his black duster.

Tina's sharp eyes catch a glimpse of a sharp katana underneath the coat, which surprises her… most people carry a firearm at the end of the First Universal Century.

"Stay here for a moment," Kenta warns her, as he flips through the keys, "Your friends are in the room next to this one."

Tina stands quietly by as Kenta fumbles through the keys before unlocking the door.

Notwithstanding Kenta's reassurances, Tina liberates the knife from Morrison's back and now has it in hand, ready for action.

The next thing Tina hears is the sound of a sword being drawn followed by two heavy thumps.

Tina immediately bolts into the room, dagger raised menacingly, but lowers it when she sees him placing the jackets of the now decapitated MP's on her friends, who are sobbing.

"I don't need to tell you what happened," Kenta tells Tina before turning to Liz and Madison, "Now is not the time for tears… once you are both safe… then you can cry… Till then, I need you two to hold it together."

They exit the holding cell to be met by a squad of MP's.

"FREEZE!" orders the Squad Leader, "You are under arrest."

Rather than be intimidated, Kenta begins to chuckle… a sinister sound.

"The thing about Federation MP's is that they're all a bunch of trigger-happy fuckwits with chips on their shoulders because they didn't get a shot at any of the glory during the war," Kenta snarls as he turns towards them, "This is why I hate you scumbags."

A sinister smile spreads across his face as madness creeps into his eyes, "It's also why I'm not afraid of you."

Kenta keeps his eyes trained on the enemy as he instructs the girls, "Follow the corridor behind us…Senator Teabolo Mass should be at the end by the time you get there."

Without warning, Kenta dashes into the MP's and begins hacking and slashing away at them…

In her mind's eye, Tina briefly sees the image of a demon with blackened skin overlap their savior, and is gripped by terror. Never one to be paralyzed by fear, however, Tina grabs her two friends and drags them down the hallway towards freedom.

Tina sees the comforting sight of her adoptive father, Senator Teabolo Mass, awaiting them at the end of the hall, as the man named Kenta promised. The girls collapse into the elder man's protective embrace.

"Are you all right?" the aged senator asks.

Tina responds, "I...I saw..."

Teabolo nods, patting Tina on her head, "We'll talk about it later. Let's get you girls home, where you belong."

Before they can leave, a deranged chuckle echoes from the hallway behind them. Tina immediately places herself in front of her foster father in a protective stance, bloodied dagger raised.

Ryusuke Kenta steps into the light, covered in blood. He tosses the decapitated head of Pfc. Morrison, the MP who tried to rape Tina, and lets out a demented chuckle, "I figured you'd want the head of the slimeball who tried to rape your daughter."

Teabolo straightens his glasses, gives the strange figure an apprehensive once over, and asks, "Who are you?"

"Captain Ryusuke Kenta of the Earth Federation Forces Mobile Suit Test Corp," he said as he completely calmed down, "Or I was a captain… I retired after the war."

"I need you to stay here," the senator says, "to be interrogated about what happened here today."

"I'll tell you what happened," the retired soldier growls as he points to the disembodied head, "He tried to rape Tina, and the other two." The man begins to tremble with rage as the memory of what he saw stirs that part of him.

Tina actually stumbles back when the image of the Demon appears before her once more, holding the dagger between herself and the diabolical presence.

"I thank you for protecting them, Captain Kenta," Teabolo acknowledges, "but you do not seem altogether well. Were you wounded in the fight? I can bring you to medical care"

"Medical care can't fix my problems," he grunts, "There's nothing physically wrong with me." he nods his head at Tina and says, "She might be able to tell you."

"Again, I thank you," the senator says gratefully, extending his hand to the other man.

"You don't want to do that," the soldier replies as he holds up his blood-covered hand.

Senator Teabolo nods as he shepherds the girls into his staff limousine awaiting outside. He turns to look over his shoulder, but Captain Kenta is gone.

"Odd," Teabolo muses, "Very odd."

* * *

"Final report is 55 civilians dead, 267 more critically injured, Senator," an aide reports to Teabolo the following day, "...and then, somebody...or something got into the base detention center and slaughtered two platoons of the same MPs...apparently without the use of firearms. All the corpses showed signs of mutilation by some kind of bladed weapon."

Senator Mass, gazing thoughtfully out the window of his palatial home to the beauty of the Alpine peaks, nods, "Make sure the wounded get the best care. As for the base: I want every officer's and enlisted soldier's files reviewed and subject to court-martial if investigation turns up evidence of their part in illegally brutalizing the civilians. Also, please get me the file on a Captain Ryusuke Kenta of the Mobile Suit Test Corps."

"Right away, Senator," the aide bows, and turns to carry out his orders.

Senator Mass sits back in his chair, musing, "Captain Ryusuke Kenta. The name seems somehow...familiar. Just who is he?"

The senator spots Tina...Mineva, looking thoughtfully across the vista of mountains. He senses that he should join her.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Teabolo asks, his voice filled with fatherly affection and concern.

"That man," she says quietly, "has a demon in him."

"Demon?" Senator Mass smiles weakly, "Since when have you come to believe in such things?"

"I… just don't know how else to explain it," she replies softly, "but sir…I think the time has come for me to go."

"Go?" the senator asks, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Go where?"

Tina glances up to the sky, "To pursue my future. I saw the darkness in the heart of the Earth Federation, sir. A deep sickness within, that can only be cured from within."

Senator Mass nods ruefully, "I knew this day would come, as surely as I knew it would with Edward and Sayla."

Tina says, "I can't be Tina Mass anymore...not after what's happened...not if I'm going to go forth to fulfil my plans."

"Then who will you be?" asks Tina's foster father.

A moment's pause for thought, and then a smile, "Athena….Athena Ibaz."

"Poetic," the senator nods, "'Athena'...the original Greek form of the Latin name Minerva, the Greco-Roman goddess of wisdom and warfare. 'Ibaz,' though...don't you think you're playing with fire...Athena?"

"Can you wipe the slate clean for me?" Athena asks.

"Consider it done," the senator replies, as his wife Amelia comes to join them, "but will we see you here again, Athena?"

"I will never forget you two," Athena says affectionately, hugging the aged couple, "you have been as good to me as any parents could have been, and I will return to see you both when the time is right for me to do so."

So saying, Athena goes to her bedroom to pack her few belongings.

She puts the red jewel/encrypted file that Char gave her on an earring and tucks the silver Marakov pistol into a holster strapped to her thigh. Donning a flat cap similar to, but slightly larger than the one she wore when she arrived in St. Moritz five years earlier, Athena makes her way to Senator Mass's office to say farewell...

* * *

"Sir," Senator Mass's aide knocks on his office door, "I've brought that file you requested on Captain Ryusuke Kenta."

Senator Mass opens the file just as Athena walks in to say her final goodbyes.

"Come here," the senator tells her, "This is Captain Kenta's file… we might be able to shed some light on what you experienced around him."

Athena walks in and takes a look at the file with her foster father.

 **CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED**

 **INTEL SECURITY CLASS A-1 ACCESS ONLY**

Subject Name: Ryusuke Kenta

EFMS # 1331667879

Present Rank: Captain

Known Alias: The Devil in Black

Mobile Suits Piloted:

RGM-79 GM

RGM-79D GM Type D

RGM-79G GM Command

RGM-79FP GM Striker

RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam

 **IMPORTANT ADVISORY:**

Is prone to sudden mood swings and acts of extreme violence. Most common trigger for such incidents come from witnessing what the subject has labeled to be the most vile criminal acts. Has been known to mutilate his victim's with a sword, as well knives, broken bottles, and his teeth should the 'need' arise. If he is seen behaving in this manner, do not engage. Standing orders are to flee on sight.

Marital status: Widowed.

Relationship Status: Romantically involved with Earth Federation Forces 89th MS Squadron (Side 7 Space Command) officer, Maj. Christina MacKenzie (EFMS # 3258982589)

 **CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED*CLASSIFIED**

Senator Mass removes his glasses, wiping them thoughtfully, "The wars have produced quite a few broken souls such as this Captain Kenta, but this man is not our enemy. Nevertheless, he is a wildcard."

Athena nods, "I'll be careful. I'm ready to go."

"You aren't carrying much," the senator observes, noting that Athena is carrying only one small valise along with the clothes she is wearing...a turtleneck sweater, sports jacket, trousers, a muffler, and a flat cap.

"It's best for me to travel light," Athena replies, "but I have everything I need," indicating the ruby earring and her Marakov sidearm.

Teabolo touches Athena's face lovingly, "My wife and I will miss you. You will always be welcome here, any time you wish to return."

Amelia, Teabolo's wife and Athena's foster mother, enters with a bag of freshly picked pears, "Take these with you, Athena...along with our love and best hopes."

"I'll return," Athena says, "After I've made this world a better place."

Thirty minutes later, a train pulls out of St. Moritz's station, bound westward for Gibraltar…


	3. Chapter 2: Athena Rising

_December, U.C. 0096_

Despite the prevalence of snow and frigid temperatures in northern latitudes, intense heat scorches the grasslands of sub-Saharan, subequatorial Africa...a region that a few still refer to by its 21st Century moniker of "Tanzania."

A Gunperry military cargo transport, late of the Earth Federation Forces and dating back to the One Year War, glides across the African skies, its pilot judiciously avoiding detection as it makes it way from Nairobi to Musoma at a steady 434 knots at an altitude of 13,131 meters.

The Gunperry follows an encrypted signal to its destination, the pilot daring not to broadcast over the airwaves for fear of detection by Zeon Terrestrial Forces units on the ground…. leftovers from the One Year War who are still fighting that same war, uncaring or perhaps even unaware that that conflict had ended.

To lighten the load and enable faster flight, the Gunperry has also been stripped of all armaments. Were the craft to come under attack, it would have no capacity to strike back, other than through suicidal ramming tactics.

Its cargo, however, is far too valuable to waste on any such vainglory. Approximately 150 tons of staple foods, medicines, blankets, and clothing...all desperately needed by the people living in the Musoma region.

Having taken a slightly longer route to avoid remnants of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces patrolling the area, the Gunperry lands gracefully on an improvised field near Lake Victoria, its humanitarian cargo eagerly awaited and at last delivered.

Athena Ibaz, 17-year-old Red Cross International humanitarian aid worker and crackerjack Gunperry pilot, removes her aviator's goggles and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Great work, Athena," enthuses Red Cross International Musoma Relief Camp director Natasha Daniels, "We'd all but given up hope of these supplies arriving in time to avert a catastrophe. How the hell did you manage it without running into those rogue Zeke patrols?"

Athena replies plainly, "Just a matter of knowing where and how to not fly."

"Ever thought about going into professional smuggling?" Natasha teases.

Athena allows herself a wry smile, "All the water in Lake Victoria wouldn't be enough to wash the dirt off."

"They're going to need more support personnel in the med wing," Natasha then says, becoming serious.

"I'll be right there," Athena answers, "Just let me get out of this flight suit…"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Athena is inside one of the medical tents, binding the wound of a young girl, about five years younger than Athena herself, who had taken a nasty scorpion bite to her leg while assisting her family with farming work earlier in the day.

"The antivenin I administered will take care of the scorpion venom, so don't worry," Athena tells the girl in Swahili, "Come back here tomorrow so I can wash and re-dress that wound, all right?"

Sending the girl on her way, Athena turns her attention next to a ten-year-old boy with a nasty-looking boil growing out of his forehead.

Athena does her best for the war refugees of Musoma with her field medic knowledge, but the truth remains that the camp is woefully short of fully trained medical personnel. To serve a camp population of over 2,000 people with a grand total of three fully certified medical doctors and a few dozen hastily trained volunteers such as Athena herself is all but untenable.

While treating the youth with a boil, Athena hears the faint report of heavy gunfire in the distance. She provides the boy with bandages and a topical antibiotic treatment, and rushes out of the tent to see what is happening…

She catches up with Natasha, who is standing atop a ridge with a pair of binoculars.

"ZTF rogues?" Athena ventures.

Natasha nods grimly, "Most likely a crew of ex-ZTF pilots resorting to piracy. They're almost certain to head in our direction if they clear that Federation squadron they're engaged with."

Athena turns back toward the camp, "Make that 'if' a 'when.' We need to start moving the refugees away from this location."

"Athena," Natasha calls out, "there's no way we'll be able to get everybody out in time!"

"Then we'll get whoever we can," Athena responds, "they'd all be sitting ducks here!"

Athena returns to the camp and informs the other camp leaders of the plan. Discreetly, as to not incite a general panic that would further complicate matters, the leaders begin to organize groups of the refugees.

"Athena," one of the other camp leaders interjects, "the Gunperry can accommodate only around 150 people in the cargo hold! We've got more than 2,000!"

Athena begins powering up the Gunperry's engine, "Then stop reporting the numbers to me and round up the first batch of 150! Start with the kids, but make sure at least 25 of each group are young adults!"

"Where are you taking them?" Natasha asks, having brought a group to be boarded.

"Southern end of Lake Tanganyika," Athena answers, donning her aviator goggles and headset.

A loud BOOM! is heard in the distance. Dust and dirt billowing into the air no more than two kilometers away.

As quickly as they can, the Red Cross International workers board 150 people, mostly children, but also 25 young adults under the age of 30 onto the Gunperry. As soon as they are secured, Athena lifts the Gunperry into the air, heading southeast towards Lake Tanganyika.

She prays that there will be more living bodies for her to transport to safety when she returns…

* * *

All through the afternoon and early evening, Athena makes four additional sorties between the Musoma refugee camp and the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Each time Athena returns to Musoma, she finds, much to her horror, that the firefight is moving closer and closer to the campsite.

On Athena's fifth flight back to Musoma, her eyes widen in horror as she spots the camp engulfed in flame, a RMS-106CS Custom Hizack armed with a beam launcher flanked by two MS-09 Doms, stomping upon and firing upon the remaining refugees, looking to plunder and pillage. The ground is covered with piles of corpses and the writhing mortally wounded.

Athena's eyes flash angrily at the mobile suits.

"Murdering scum…" she mutters under her breath.

The monoeye of one of the two Doms swivels towards the Gunperry. The mighty Zeon mobile suit swivels its machine gun in the aircraft's direction.

Athena barrels the Gunperry around just in time to avoid the spray of machine gun fire. Good sense overpowering rage, Athena puts as much distance between the Gunperry and the trio of mobile suits as possible.

 _Won't be able to do much with this Gunperry_ , Athena reasons, looking for a safe place to land, _have to go back on foot and see what I can do._

* * *

Two hours later, Athena has made her way through the brush back to the campsite. Her heart sinks as she sees again the scene of carnage and flame before her.

A supply truck approaches, driven not by a Red Cross International worker, but by a ZTF officer...likely the pilot of the Hizack Custom, which now stands inert, its monoeye dark. The pair of Doms, however, remain active, guarding the scene, looking to shoot at anything that moves with their machine guns.

The supply truck stops near the foot of the Hizack Custom, and its driver disembarks…a blond man in his thirties whose uniform dates back to the One Year War. His face, while clean shaven, also has a scar running diagonally across it. The Zeon veteran stands roughly 5 feet 6 inches tall, and has a tired look in his eyes.

"It's funny," he mutters to himself, "When he left, I actually resented him for it… but now, I think I finally get it… there's nothing left for us here."

So saying, he looks to the stars and addresses someone far away, "Maybe if I ever get off this rock, I'll pay you a visit, Jack."

 _Jack? He couldn't be talking about Colonel Spencer_ , Athena thinks to herself, _Could he? And why did I just assume that "Jack" is Col. Spencer?_

"And who knows," he adds, "Maybe we can start something new together like you and I did with Gwen."

The man tears up at the thought of the woman who he had loved… that felt like a lifetime ago now. "God knows I miss her, Jack."

It suddenly dawns on Athena that she is standing much, much too far away from the Zeon officer to actually hear these words with her ears. In fact, Athena realizes, she is not hearing the words _per se_ , but sensing them...through her mind?

The Zeon officer abruptly snaps back to the reality of the present, and orders his two subordinates...the Dom pilots, "Stone! Escort me down to the barge! McGregor! You guard my MS!"

"Yes, sir" come the replies from Stone and McGregor.

Athena sets a small fire in the brush for distraction and, seeing her chance, abruptly steals onto the refugee base. She quickly locates one of the camp's utility jeeps that the relief workers kept around for quick local transport.

The supply truck and escort Dom head off for the barge. Meanwhile, the small fire that Athena started in the brush has grown, creating quite a plume of flame and smoke that distracts the pilot of the second Dom guarding the Hizack.

During this brief window of opportunity, Athena guns the engine of the jeep and tails after the supply truck and the escort Dom, keeping the headlights off and letting the roar of the Dom's jet thrusters mask the sound of the jeep.

The barge is docked slightly over three klicks from the perimeter of the refugee camp, on the southeastern shore of Lake Victoria. Athena has often led some of the refugee children here for recreational activities such as fishing.

 _Many of those children are now dead_ , Athena recalls unwillingly, _and these bastards are going to pay for that_.

Setting such dark thoughts aside, Athena stealthily abandons the van and steals aboard the barge, sheltering herself inconspicuously inside one of the barge's many niches as the supply truck is loaded onto it.

Loading and securing the supply truck takes no more than five minutes, though for Athena, the time feels much longer.

"Supply truck secure, Lieutenant Turner," McGregor, the Dom pilot, affirms over his mobile suit's external speaker.

"All right," Turner calls up to the Dom, "You stay here. I'm going back to get Stone and my Hizack."

So saying, Turner runs back in the direction of the refugee camp.

From her niche, Athena carefully eyes the equipage and accoutrements of the barge. On the deck, a guardhouse and a supply shed. Below decks, undoubtedly crew accommodations and additional cargo space.

Within ten minutes, the second Dom and the Hizack custom arrive. Thirty minutes later, all three mobile suits are secured with the supply truck on the deck of the barge. Thirty more minutes later, the barge is asail on Lake Victoria, heading due northwest.

* * *

The commandeered barge turns out to be exceptionally well-stocked with liquor. The barge's previous crew apparently enjoyed its Bacchanalian pleasures, of which now Turner and his two subordinates partake.

1Lt. Gale Turner, formerly of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces, toasts his men and swigs deeply from a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon whiskey.

"Hey commander," Stone says louder than necessary, "Why don't you tell us about your old C.O. again?"

"All right," Gale says with a smile, as he stands and begins to speak as if he were a Homeric bard waxing lyrical about legendary heroes, "I remember the Colonel was a man who could complete missions that were otherwise impossible… a man who could formulate the most elaborate plans on the fly… establish defense grids that were virtually impenetrable… and someone who did his best to get us through each mission alive."

"Too bad he turned traitor and abandoned us," McGregor grumbles.

"I don't think that's entirely accurate," Lieutenant Turner responds, pointing at McGregor as he contemplates his bottle of liquor, "Jack was someone who saw the bigger picture, and he always kept the little people in mind… the more I think about it…the more I'm convinced he left so he could do everything he could for the people of Side 3."

"I still say he ran away," McGregor mumbles under his breath, swigging from his can of Schlitz.

Turner's fist lands on McGregor's jaw like a bolt of Jovian lightning, knocking the Dom pilot out of his chair and on his back.

"You won't speak disrespectfully of the Colonel, soldier," Turner rumbles, "You serve under me, so you respect Col. Spencer!"

A moment of awkward silence, through which the men can hear the lyrics of the song they have blasting from the barge's sound system… A cover of the Classic Black Sabbath song War Pigs done by American Thrash Metal Band Sacred Reich.

 _Generals gathered in their masses  
Just like witches at black masses  
Evil minds that plot destruction  
Sorcerers of death's construction  
In the fields the bodies burning  
As the war machine keeps turning  
Death and hatred to mankind  
Poisoning their brainwashed minds  
Oh lord yeah!  
Politicians hide themselves away  
They only started the war  
Why should they go out to fight?  
They leave that role to poor  
Time will tell on their power minds  
Making war just for fun  
Treating people just like pawns in chess  
Wait 'til their judgment day comes  
Yeah!  
Now in darkness world stops turning  
Ashes where the bodies burning  
No more war pigs have the power  
Hand of God has struck the hour  
Day of judgment, God is calling  
On their knees the war pig's crawling  
Begging mercy for their sins  
Satan laughing spreads his wings  
All right now!_

A few more drinks, and the three Zeon soldiers find themselves barely able to stay awake.

"You turkeys get your asses to bed," Lt. Turner slurs, "we got lots of ground to cover tomorrow."

* * *

Thirty minutes after Athena hears the music and discussion fall silent, she decides to make her move.

Stealing out quietly from her hidden niche, Athena moves like a cat across the barge towards the prone Zeon mobile suits.

Then, Athena senses a shift and hears the door of the barge open.

Quickly shifting tactics, Athena ducks back into the shadows, her silver Marakov pistol ready in her hand.

1Lt. Gale Turner staggers unsteadily out from the barge's lower deck, a freshly lit cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

"Damn, Jack," Turner mutters, the glowing cigarette wagging between his lips, "How the hell you manage to drink that Wild Turkey stuff? It makes a man have to piss all night!"

So saying, Turner teeters unsteadily at the edge of the barge, struggling to loosen his fly. "I guess that's why you drink in moderation."

He then feels the unmistakable sensation of cold gunmetal against the back of his neck.

A voice, evidently belonging to a young woman, whispers harshly, "Access code numbers for the Hizack Custom. Both the cockpit hatch and authentication code for the combat computer."

"All right, all right, little lady," Gale replies, his hands raised above his head, "Don't do anything crazy now."

"The codes," Athena repeats coldly, "and don't you dare turn around or make any other sudden moves."

"6DJRUWPK to open the hatch," Gale tells her, "9LDBMQ9J" to access the combat computer."

Athena takes off her flat cap, and Turner hears the cold smile in the young woman's voice as she answers, "You've done your Duchess a great service, Lieutenant Gale."

He turns, and for the briefest of instants, catches a glance of her...a strikingly attractive teenager on the cusp of womanhood, with emerald green eyes and wispy, reddish blonde hair.

"You...you're.." Turner gapes.

The girl takes the cigarette out of Gale's mouth, putting it in her own, and relieves him of his remaining pack of cigarettes in the pocket of his uniform jacket.

"Thank you," the girl says, as she kicks Turner in the jaw with a stunningly quick and surprisingly strong thrust of her willowy right leg, sending the man plunging off the side of the barge into the crocodile- and snake-infested waters of Lake Victoria.

Wasting no time, Athena pulls the tarp off the Hizack Custom, climbs to the cockpit hatch located on the mobile suit's belly, and types in the access code that Turner provided to her.

The hatch slides open and Athena lets herself drop into the cockpit seat.

Using code "9LDBMQ9J," Athena activates the combat computer of the RMS-106CS Hizack Custom.

The mobile suit's monoeye shimmers on, and the Hizack begins lifting itself to its armored feet.

McGregor and Stone, stumbling over each other as they struggle to get on the deck, watch in confusion and horror as Turner's Hizack comes to life.

The Hizack stands, nearly causing the barge to capsize (which it might have, if not for the counterbalancing weight of the twin Doms). It then grabs one Dom's 360mm giant bazooka in one hand and the other Dom's MMP80 90mm machine gun in the other.

Athena fires choice shots from the 90mm machine gun at the arm and leg joints of the two Doms, using minimal ammunition to cripple both mobile suits so that they will not be able to challenge or pursue her.

McGregor and Stone, frightened out of their minds, dive into the lake, preferring to brave whatever might be in the water than attempt to battle a mobile suit in their shirtsleeves.

With a single thrust, the Hizack Custom takes to the air.

Athena lays down a shot from the 360mm giant bazooka, capsizing the barge.

Inside the cockpit, the combat computer of the Hizack Custom chimes in its synthesized voice, "Pilot must extinguish tobacco product while…"

Athena, exhaling casually from the cigarette, shuts the irritating computerized voice down with the flick of a switch, "Shut it. I'm the duchess; I'll do what I want."

* * *

Gale makes it to shore, thanking his lucky stars for his Newtype abilities…below average or not, he can produce enough psychic pressure to make animals wary of him… something that has saved his life here in Africa multiple times.

Stone and McGregor on the other hand… not so lucky.

Gale turns around and looks out at the barge as the lost Duchess of Zeon all but redlines the thrusters of the Hizack and takes off into the night.

"She's…," Gale begins.

"Duchess Mineva Lao Zabi," finishes a voice Gale knows all too well.

Gale turns to see the man he has long idolized standing there, wearing his old officer's long coat with a grin, "How ya been kid?"

"Colonel," he replies as he jumps to his feet and gives his former commanding officer a proper salute.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Jack orders, before turning his eyes to the burning barge, "and give me your personal shortwave."

Gale obliges, allowing Colonel Spencer to communicate with the Mining Base, "Attention all Zeon Terrestrial Forces in the Kenyan Mining Base: this is Colonel Jack Spencer… I know I've been gone for sixteen years, but I've been busy… I regret to inform you that 1st Lieutenant Gale Turner has been killed in action. The responsible party has hijacked his mobile suit and is now on the run. My orders are this: hunt them down and destroy them for this afront to Zeon… to the last man if you have to."

"Sir," Gale asks with confusion, "the Duchess...I can hardly believe she's still alive, maybe there's hope, but I don't understand...why do you want to kill the Duchess?"

"I don't," the older man replies, "but she's planning to try and change the Federation from within and frankly, I don't think it can be done, but I'm willing to give her some credit, and taking down what's left of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces is about as good as it gets."

"There's more to it than that," Gale points out, "I know you well enough to know you need at least two good reasons to do something."

"It gives us a man on the inside," Jack answers, "Something we're going to need in the future."

He then turns away and heads into the desert, "Come. There is much to be done."

Gale quietly follows Jack, content to be in the presence of the man he views as a surrogate father.

After roughly five minutes of walking, they reach a jeep, where a 14-year-old girl with pink hair sits in the passenger side seat, gazing at the stars.

"Gale," Jack says, patting his old subordinate on the shoulder, "This is my daughter, Penelope Garahau Spencer."

"Garahau?" Turner asks his C.O., "You mean like Cima Garahau?"

"Cima's her mother," the Colonel replies.

The girl turns to see her father and his companion and in a voice dripping with adolescent impatience and disdain, demands, "So this is the guy we're here for?"

"Yep," Jack answers his daughter matter-of-factly, "so we're heading back to Side 3."

Penelope immediately puts on her best pouting face and asks, "Can't we stay here until the sun comes up?"

Ordinarily, Jack would have said "no," but this was his daughter's first time on the Earth, and she really wanted to see the sunrise.

"OK, kiddo," he says with a soft affection as he sits down next to her, "We can watch the sunrise."

She immediately hugs him and grins, "Thanks, Daddy."

Gale never thought he'd see the day that Colonel Jack Spencer would demonstrate such tenderness towards anyone, but after meeting the long lost Duchess of Zeon as he did tonight, this really doesn't surprise him.

* * *

 _March, UC 0097_

The harsh winter has given way to a milder spring in the badlands of the southwestern plateau of the region of Afghanistan. Snow gives way flowers, revealing a land ancient, and paradoxically both harsh and beautiful.

In the midst of this geological oxymoron, a 17-year old girl sits in the shadow of a Gunperry transport grounded by lack of fuel, by weather that, for the most part, has been ill-suited to flight, and by the constant presence of ZTF units that continue to wander the wastelands.

Dressed in a plain khaki hooded kaftan that covers her underlying clothes, including the ever-present flat cap, Athena Ibaz contemplates the majestic Hindu Kush mountains rising in the distance due east of her.

The Gunperry has sat idle on the sandy plateau since it ran out of fuel around this location nearly two months ago. She has about ten days' worth of food and water left, and is presently smoking the last cigarette from the pack of 25 that she relieved from the possession of 1Lt. Gale Turner some seven months earlier.

Athena has learned, through discreet inquiries and investigations, of an abandoned Zeon supply base up in the Hindu Kush. If she knows of its existence, however, then surely so do others…

From her pocket, Athena extracts a gold pocket watch on a chain, an heirloom from her father, the late Prince Dozle Zabi of the Archduchy of Zeon, given to her by her late mother, Lady Zenna, shortly before her death.

Athena glances at the sun directly overhead, noting the absence of shadows except directly below their substantial antecedents. High noon.

Setting the time on her father's pocket watch, the former Duchess of Zeon finishes off the final cigarette and rises to her combat booted feet.

"Time to get more," she whispers to herself.

So resolved, she turns towards the Hizack Custom looming behind her in the Gunperry's cargo bay.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of the Hizack Custom several minutes later, Athena runs a full diagnostic check of all combat and surveillance systems, leaving nothing to chance.

She also runs a feed of local and regional news on the Hizack's telecom receiver system, to determine if ZTF units are active near her location.

As she works, a blog article catches her eye: "Waiting on a Hero: The Real Story of the Earth Federation Forces at Side 3," by an author named, oddly enough, "Mafty."

Athena takes a moment to read, "You've likely grown up with these legendary names: Amuro Ray, Bright Noah, Abraham Reville, Matilda Ajan, etc. They need no introduction. History books in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools celebrate them as heroes - brave men and women who sacrificed, endured, and overcame much to defend the innocent and uphold justice. Statues are erected for them. Government buildings, libraries, schools, and highways are named after them. DON'T BELIEVE IT FOR A MOMENT. These people are not heroes. They're butchers, and their butchery continues, sight unseen, in places such as Side 3…"

 _This writer's keystrokes have some salt and spice in them_ , Athena cannot help grinning, _I like his style, assuming he is indeed a "he." "Mafty." Hmmm…_

Athena bookmarks the blog on her personal reading list and programs the computer to send her an alert whenever "Mafty" publishes a new post or article.

She then returns to the task at hand, mentally going over her checklist, _OK...need to refuel the Gunperry. Going to need to rig a siphon mechanism for that. Need ammo for the Hizack's bazooka cannon and machine gun. Going to need spare parts for just about everything. Some dry edibles and water...and a fresh carton or two of cigarettes wouldn't be a bad idea either._

Twenty minutes later, the Hizack Custom blasts out of the Gunperry and up into the mountainous terrain of the Hindu Kush.

* * *

Athena disembarks from the cockpit of the Hizack Custom after blasting open the gate to the supply base. Taking her Marakov sidearm and a portable electric lantern, she explores its cavernous interior on foot.

Athena flashes the light of her electric lantern around the hold, spotting numerous crates of supplies of all kinds. She locates a large aviation turbine fuel tank and, checking its gauges, determines that it contains several hundred kiloliters of fuel.

She spends the next two hours rigging a crude siphon from the fuel tank, and directs the Hizack Custom to rig it to the Gunperry several kilometers downslope. Due to the distance and the lack of pressure, fueling the Gunperry will take several hours.

Athena takes time to gather up other supplies she will be needing...the aforementioned rounds of ammunition and ordnance for the mobile suit. Spare parts for both the Gunperry and the Hizack. Enough canned rations and potable water to last two to three months.

Her last stop is the private quarters for the supply base's late commanding officer, a "Colonel Miles Dagny," according to the dust-covered nameplate on the door. Breaking through the locked door, Athena enters a private quarters of surprising luxury.

 _Hmph_ , Athena smirks to herself, _plush animal skin rug. Italian leather sofas. Silk bedding sheets. This Col. Dagny lived in luxury at the Archduchy's expense._

Athena spots three cartons of filtered Marlboros, unopened, and gathers them up. She is about to leave when she spots the wet bar.

 _Vintage bottle of Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth_ , _bottle of Courvoisier VSOP cognac, bottle of Bacardi black rum_. Athena gathers these up (along with the corresponding glasses), carts them into an empty crate, and packs them into the Hizack Custom.

Gauges indicate that the Gunperry's fuel tanks are 80% full, and will be completely full by the time she reaches the aircraft.

 _Not a bad afternoon's shopping trip_ , Athena muses. _Still, I'll need go into the nearest town to acquire some food and water since anything I find here probably expired 16 years ago… along with some other things._

Her next course of action determined, Athena climbs into her Jeep, which still bears its Red Cross International livery and paint, dons her goggles and the Zeon officer's helmet she found at the Arabian supply depot to give her the appearance of a scavenger, and heads into Kabul.

* * *

An hour later, Athena is driving through the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. She locates one of the few modern stores in the city, her remaining stash of Earth Federation credits barely enough to buy a box of tampons.

Recalling her cultural studies classes back at the Lyceum, Athena knows that bartering is still a viable form of trade in this part of the world, and she has in her vehicle one asset that she can readily exchange for food and water: surplus medical supplies.

After acquiring all the female hygienic products she would likely require, Athena heads for the local bazaar. A blinding array of goods are available at its hundreds of stalls and stands, but Athena is mindful that she must be careful about her spending. While the medical supplies are indeed surplus in terms of her personal use, she must not trade them all at once. She must be prudent about how she spends her resources, monetary or otherwise.

With that in mind, Athena stops at the nearest food stand and begins haggling in the local tongue (Pashto) the price for the supplies she needs. A good half hour later, she has managed to acquire enough nonperishable foods and bottled water to last her a month if she rations them.

Little does Athena suspect that she has been under observation the entire time she has been in Kabul.

The commanding officer of the Dopp fighter squadron that has been pursuing her, Captain Patrick Thorne, has decided to have some of his allies on the ground do some scouting in the surrounding area. Said allies reported sighting a girl wearing an old Zeon officer's helmet from the One Year War drive into town They became immediately suspicious… doubly so when they saw her trading medical supplies for food and water. Now they intend to tail her to see if she's their intended target or not.

As she heads back towards the badlands, Athena glances periodically into her vehicle's rear view mirror. For some time now, she has noticed a vehicle trailing her at approximately half a click back...accelerating when she accelerates...slowing when she slows, regardless of road conditions.

 _Looks like I've picked up a tail,_ Athena surmises, _thankfully, I set the Hizack in a separate location from the Gunperry._

Athena turns off the main highway into offroad territory, following her bearings towards the location where she had put down her Mobile Suit.

* * *

Athena parks her jeep under the shade of some trees, and scrambles to where the mobile suit awaits her.

 _Got to hurry,_ Athena thinks to herself, _they'll be on top of me any second._

Athena reaches the mobile suit and opens its cockpit hatch. Dropping in, she brings the combat systems online.

Athena checks her mobile suit's weapons status. Bazooka would be a great option, except that she hasn't yet had the time to reload it with the shells she acquired from the supply bases in Arabian and the Hindu Kush.

 _Machine gun it is_ , Athena resolves, pointing the weapon, ready in the mobile suit's right hand, skyward. _Just like duck hunting…_

* * *

A flight of three vintage Zeon DFA-03 Dopp air units comb the skies above the Afghani steppes, seeking out their quarry.

"Bobby," calls out one of the Dopp pilots on the tactical net, "you got any visuals?"

"Negative," Bobby replies, "Nothing but trees and rocks, and more trees and rocks."

"What are we looking for, anyway?" the pilot of the third Dopp, Ryong, asks his two comrades-at-arms.

"Some girl in a jeep," replies the first pilot, name of Andrei, "Captain Thorne says she's a 'person of interest,' though not what kind of interest."

Ryong asks the obvious next question, "Is she a cutie?"

The others laugh, and Andrei answers, "Probably. Who knows? Didn't get a good look at her. But don't even think it: Captain gets first and probably last dibs!"

Ryong moans, "Man...we haven't met any hotties since we stopped over in Baghdad last month. It's enough to make a man….YEEARGH!"

Ryong's Dopp goes down in a rain of smoke and flame as his radio falls silent after his death scream.

"We're being fired upon!" Bobby screams through the tactical net.

"Where's that fire coming from?!" Andrei demands, as he directs his aircraft through evasive maneuvers.

"It's coming from….AWPPFFF!"

Bobby's Dopp goes down, crashing into the trees and rocks below and creating a conflagration.

Andrei spots it at last...a mobile suit.

Andrei reports back to Thorne, "Captain! We've spotted it. It's a mobile suit! RMS-106CS type! Armed with machine gun!"

Andrei throws his Dopp into a climb, makes a banked turn, and dives towards the Hizack Custom, launching a spread of four missiles at the mobile suit.

"This is for Bobby and Ryong, bitch!" Andrei shouts as he continues to fire his payload at the offending mobile suit.

Athena dodges the incoming fire with difficulty, a few times coming very close to taking a direct hit from one of the Dopp's missiles. As it is, impact from the flaming shrapnel of one near miss singes the armor of the Hizack Custom, causing superficial damage that Athena can only hope will not be revealed as more serious.

When possible, Athena tries to return fire with the Hizack's machine gun, but the intense fire that the Dopp lays down makes it difficult for her to get a bead on the target.

 _Damn moving target_ , both combatants unknowingly think to themselves simultaneously.

 _Up in the air, he's got an advantage over me_ , Athena thinks, _he's faster and more maneuverable than I am. I need to take away that advantage. Need to draw him closer._

Athena fires a burst of machine gun fire that does not connect with the Dopp, but that she did not expect to. The burst of fire does, however, draw retaliatory fire in the form of 20mm Vulcan rounds from the Dopp's guns.

The Vulcan fire catches the Hizack on the upper right shoulder. The Hizack goes down on one knee.

Andrei grins with satisfaction, "Sonovagun...it's going down."

Andrei lowers the Dopp slowly, cautiously towards the Hizack as it goes down on all fours, apparently seriously damaged by Andrei's onslaught. The Dopp hovers just over 100 meters above the stricken mobile suit.

Andrei lines the Hizack up in his brackets, ready to unleash a final missile to finish the mobile suit off.

"Bobby, Ryong...watch this!" Andrei laughs as his thumb begins pressing on the trigger.

Then, it happens…

The Hizack Custom launches itself into the air, using the thruster units built into its legs.

The Dopp's missile sails under the Hizack, exploding at the point where the Hizack had stood scant seconds earlier.

The Hizack closes in on the Dopp, hovering as if it were an enormous diveboard jumper in mid-flight.

Andrei barely has time for his final thought, _I'm so stupid! I forgot this is Turner's Hizack! That sonofabitch modified his Hizack for enhanced flight capability!_

The ZTF pilot desperately attempts to maneuver out of the way of the incoming mobile suit, but is unable to do so before the Hizack Custom grabs his Dopp in its armored hands, as if it were a basketball player grabbing for a rebound in a national championship game.

"I'm a fool! A FOO…!" The words are heard the the pilots of a squad of reinforcement Dopps as they arrive at the battle site.

The units arrive to see 2Lt. Andrei's Dopp crushed by the power of the mobile suit's motorized hands. Undoubtedly, very little of 2Lt. Andrei will remain to be recovered in the aftermath of this skirmish.

The Hizack holds the crushed wreckage of the Dopp up for a moment, as if it were a perverse trophy to be admired, and then drops it almost casually to the ground.

The mobile suit extracts its beam launcher and points it at the newly arrived Dopp units menacingly, as if challenging them.

1Lt. Goresh, the pilot of the lead Dopp, orders the other units, "Withdraw and survey!"

SSgt. Zapista, one of the other Dopp pilots, protests, "But sir, that thing just wasted three of our men, including 2Lt. Andrei! Captain Thorne…!"

"Expects us to do our duty," Goresh finishes, "and for now, that means withdraw and survey, Sergeant!"

The Dopp units peel away.

Athena exhales with a sigh of relief, but knows that it isn't over.

 _Better pack it up and hightail it out of here, fast!_

* * *

Within twenty minutes, all weapons and supplies stowed, Athena clambers into the Gunperry cockpit and fires up the engine.

Just in time, it would appear, because she sees an entire ZTF squadron headed her way.

"The adventure continues," Athena can't help grinning, as her Gunperry takes off, a dozen ZTF units in hot pursuit.

* * *

The Gunperry, an Earth Federation staple of the One Year War era, was designed for durability, but not maneuverability. It is a cargo transport, after all, not an interceptor or racer. That said, the engineers who designed the aircraft knew that it would need some measure of agility to get in and out of warzones, dodging enemy and friendly fire alike.

Such a point is not lost on 17-year-old Athena Ibaz as she throws the Gunperry into a series of maneuvers that are, perhaps, beyond its designers' specifications to avoid being shot out of the sky by the squadron of Zeon attack aircraft in hot pursuit of her.

Below the scene of the chase sprawls the mighty expanse of the Himalaya mountain range, as always beautiful, but as always, foreboding. Many had perished in countless attempts to reach the top of Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak on earth, due to the harsh environment. This was clearly the reason the ZTF Remnants chose to wait until she reached this area to launch their attack… they plan to use the mountains frigid environment to kill her.

Athena visually confirms what her onboard systems are telling her...the mountains below her go on for hundreds of kilometers. No suitable landing site will likely be available to her for several hours at least.

 _If only I had something to shoot back with_ , Athena muses.

Then, it dawns on her…

Athena rapidly swings the Gunperry around, and engages full thrusters!

1Lt. Goresh cannot believe his eyes, "FUCKING SHIT! SHE'S CRAZY!"

The Gunperry races towards the Dopps, forcing the ZTF air units to break their formation. The backwash caused by the heavy Federation cargo craft's passage causes the Dopps to momentarily lose stability.

Goresh snarls into the tactical net, "Zapista! Martin! Get on her flanks! Riddle her full of holes!

Obeying their squad leader, the Dopps piloted by SSgts. Zapista and Martin catch up with the Gunperry and surround her on both sides.

Athena had seen them coming and is ready for them…

 _3, 2, 1….now!_

Athena cuts the rotors of the Gunperry; the heavy cargo craft drops into a rapid plummet, just as the Dopps open fire with their Vulcan cannon.

"SHIT!" Goresh rages, slamming his fist against his own craft's control panel as he watches two more of his men go down in flames.

Inside the cockpit of the Gunperry, Athena cannot help a grin and a shake of the head as she brings the rotors back online.

 _That's only going to set them back for a minute_ , Athena reasons, _maybe I can…_

Athena engages the Gunperry's autopilot control, on a heading towards Hong Kong.

She exits the cockpit and heads towards the cargo bay, where her Hizack is housed.

* * *

Ninety seconds later, the Dopp squadron has regrouped and is once again bearing down upon the Gunperry.

To their surprise, the cargo bay door opens, and the Hizack Custom stands ready inside the bay, its machine gun shooting at them and its beam launcher at the ready across its shoulder.

Some machine gun fire from the Hizack Custom brings down another Dopp. Its magazine expended, Athena swings the beam launcher from over the mobile suit's shoulder.

Athena's first burst from the beam launcher scores a direct hit on a Dopp, which disappears in a yellow cloud of superheated gas. Two more Dopps slightly out of the direct line of fire nevertheless are scorched to instant combustion by the intense heat bleed of the beam.

"Retreat! Retreat!" 1Lt. Goresh calls out, having seen enough, "That thing has a beam launcher! We're outgunned!"

* * *

Two hours later, Athena is attempting to make a poor meal out of the canned whachamacallit she acquired back in Kabul. The taste...is nothing that will be worth remembering in future years, but Athena finds it acceptable so long as it keeps body and soul together for another few hours.

Much more tasteful to Athena than the canned rations is the latest Mafty entries she reads off the Gunperry's onboard telecom receiver.

"First things first," Mafty's text reads, "my apologies to Capt. Amuro Ray, 1Lt. Matilda Ajan, and Gen. Abraham Revil. They are dead, after all, and some would say that puts them beyond criticism. While I don't necessarily share that view, it's not the dead I plan to speak about, but the living...or at least, those who might be living. Even as I post this, more are dying at Side 3. They are dying for the sins of those who, ironically enough, are also already dead. It's a strange logic that humanity has followed since before the beginning of recorded history - that the best corrective for death is...more death. I am not certain that I disagree. Those who are guilty certainly must answer for their crimes. That point is not even worth arguing. Even the simplest child understands the concept of justice. The people of Side 3, however, are guilty of nothing...unless simply existing is a crime. That is precisely what the leaders of the Earth Federation would have you believe…"

Athena reads pain in those words; she senses that Mafty, whoever he or she might be, is a tormented soul. Something beyond political conviction drives the writer's words…

Athena takes a moment away from reading Mafty's blog to check the flight computer. Due to make Hong Kong in a little over 2.5 hours…

The Gunperry's sensors then indicates aircraft closing in from her six o'clock position, and closing fast.

Athena sighs, "Damn it...not again. Didn't they learn their lesson?"

Apparently not. The combat computer aboard the Gunperry identifies the new unit chasing her, and it isn't another Dopp…

"NRX-044 Asshimar," the combat computer announces.

 _That's bad_ , Athena's brow furrows, _Asshimars are fast and maneuverable, and they pack quite a bit of firepower._

Athena considers the option of getting into the Hizack Custom and blasting at them with the beam launcher again, but quickly decides against it. They're ready for her this time, and the presence of the Asshimar means that she cannot entrust the Gunperry to autopilot, even briefly.

Hong Kong also appears to be a fading option, as the ZTF air units have her ringed in a circular perimeter with the Asshimar at her six, seemingly bent on forcing her on a southeastern heading, away from Hong Kong and towards the South Pacific.

Athena begins to wonder if she is due for an oceanic grave.

* * *

1Lt. Goresh is at the control of the Asshimar in question, a squad of six Dopps arrayed behind him.

"This is flight leader," Goresh calls, "Keep her on this course and heading. When she's near our base in Borneo, she'll be low on fuel. Then, we'll pounce on her."

"That Gunperry has a large fuel capacity, Lieutenant," pipes up Chief Warrant Officer Takeshi Kanazawa, "if she fueled up back near Kabul, she could reach Australia easily."

"Unless we poke some holes in her," Goresh points out, "You brought it up, so you do the favors, Kanazawa."

"Roger and wilco, Lieutenant," Kanazawa answers his commanding officer and maneuvers for a Vulcan cannon strike on the Gunperry.

* * *

Athena is able to avoid Kanazawa's first two bursts, but the third drills holes in the Gunperry's fuel tank...thankfully, not enough to set the whole thing on fire, but enough that the onboard computer detects a slow, but troublesome fuel leak.

 _Shit_ , Athena thinks, _I think I'm cooked this time. At this rate, I'll go down somewhere over the Pacific...and what will happen then?_

Athena fingers the flashing ruby pendant that Char gave her, and checks her father's gold pocket watch attached by chain to her vest, quickly closing on midnight.

* * *

The Gunperry approaches the South Pacific island of Borneo shortly before the sun rises in the east. Fuel levels have reached critical levels and the aircraft's structural integrity is failing…

The onboard computer indicates a clearing in the jungle approximately 12 klicks inland; Athena programs the Gunperry to make a controlled landing at the site, and then rushes to the Hizack Custom, boarding the mobile suit and bringing its combat systems online.

 _They're not getting me without losing a few more of their own_ , Athena resolves.

* * *

"She's down sir," Chief Warrant Officer Francois Bourget reports, "Should we finish her?"

"Wait," Goresh warns his men, "her aircraft is done, but she still has that damned mobile suit. Don't proceed until I give the order, and only with extreme caution."

"Roger, sir," comes the collective reply.

The cargo bay hatch of the Gunperry opens up, and the RMS-106CS Hizack Custom that was once piloted by 1Lt. Gale Turner steps out, beam launcher in hand and bazooka at the ready.

"Stand by," Goresh instructs his men, "this bitch took down eight of our comrades. As commander of this unit, I'm going to take her down myself."

Goresh's Asshimar, upright in its mobile suit configuration, its large beam rifle at the ready at its side, faces off against Athena's Hizack Custom...about a half klick apart, as if the two mobile suits were gunfighters from the Old West.

"I'm going to ventilate you," Goresh says menacingly over the comlink, "you'll pay for slaughtering my men."

Athena receives the message, but says nothing in response...at least nothing verbally. The report of the Hizack Custom's beam launcher speaks for her.

The launcher's yellow beam of Minovsky particles strikes through Goresh's Asshimar before he can even bring his own mobile suit's beam rifle to bear upon the Hizack Custom.

Not hesitating or wasting a moment, Athena swings the beam launcher around and begins to pick off the remaining Dopps...again, very much like duck hunting, she muses.

Still in shock at seeing their commanding officer and his Asshimar immolated so easily, the Dopp pilots turn their aircraft away and flee in terror as Athena's Hizack advances at them, firing the beam launcher for precise strikes against them.

In less than a minute, it is over. The wreckage of Goresh's squadron smolders in the jungle.

"Maybe someday, I'll pay," Athena finally says, "but not today."

* * *

General Bright Noa sits in his office at Side 7's Revil Base as he contemplates the latest report he's received on a situation that the Earth Federation Forces have been monitoring since it started just hours ago.

Remnants of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces from the One Year War pursued a decommissioned Gunperry registered with the Red Cross International branch in Musoma, Tanzania, from central Africa to Borneo in the South Pacific. Most oddly, the Gunperry was equipped with a Hizack Custom mobile suit of Gryps Conflict vintage.

General Noa remembers that the Mobile Suit Test Corps had spent the early part of their operations during the latter days of the One Year War, and he knows one of his best officers and pilots is currently in a relationship with a former member of said Corps.

Not one to simply relay a message that he could get better results by seeing it delivered himself, Bright picks up his phone, and dials Major Christina Mackenzie's number.

After a couple of rings, Bright intones, "Hello Major Mackenzie. This is General Noa. Is your boyfriend present?"

* * *

Half an hour later, Major Christina Mackenzie and her boyfriend, Retired Captain Ryusuke Kenta, walk into General Noa's Office. Mackenzie could sense the emotions the general's secretary holds towards Kenta, all of which are highly negative… too negative for anyone who is actually aligned with the Federation… she'll have to bring that up to him.

They enter the office and immediately salute the general, "Major Mackenzie reporting for duty, with Captain Kenta present as you requested, sir."

"At ease," he tells them before handing them the folder.

"Remnants of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces have been unusually active lately… and whoever is responsible for this increase in activity crashed in Borneo."

"Now I see why you wanted me here," Ryusuke says as he begins to piece it together, "You know that I fought in the jungles of Borneo in October of 79, so I'm familiar with the terrain."

"Add in the fact that I don't have enough supporters in the Federation government needed to do this without being burned at the stake, and I'm left with no choice but to hire a mercenary for this rescue mission."

"Makes me wonder how far up Blackhead can put his own head up his ass to get the unlimited number of political favors he has," Christina says with distaste.

"Probably waxes his head for minimum resistance," Ryusuke jokingly replies.

"I wish to hire Captain Ryusuke Kenta as a special operative for this mission," General Noa says with a chuckle.

"Since doing so will require a Federation officer volunteer to insure the 'special operative' doesn't go off the reservation, I volunteer," Mackenzie replies, "What mobile suits can you provide us with?"

"I'm afraid I can't supply you with anything state of the art like the new ReZEL units," General Noa explains regretfully.

"We're getting RMS-179 GM II's, aren't we," Major Mackenzie sighs resignedly.

General Noah smiles, "Not nearly that dire. I do believe I've found a suitable substitute in the form of two Zeta Plus A1's."

"Not bad," Kenta said with an appreciative grin, "See to it that they're given our personal colors."

"And have your secretary taken into custody," Chris whispers, "I'm pretty certain she's a Zeon spy."

"That wouldn't surprise me since the ones who put her there are members of High Command," Bright sighs, "It feels like they'll do anything to discredit me."

"We'll head out tomorrow once the suits have been given a proper paint job," Ryusuke remarks with a nod before walking out the door, where he stops briefly and adds, "Let your friends on Earth know the Devil in Black is coming."

The woman is so terrified by the realization that she's been found out that she almost forgets to relay the message.

* * *

Ryusuke awakes at 04:00, as he has every morning since his time in the Mobile Suit Test Corp.

The veteran warrior rises and steps to the window of the bedroom in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend, the equally veteran Major Christina Mackenzie.

They have been dating for ten years but he can't bring himself to ask the question… the scars left by that day run too deeply for him to ask her that.

So consumed is Ryusuke by his thoughts that he almost fails to notice the presence of his lover walking up behind him until she wraps her arms around his waist.

"You shouldn't dwell on the past," she whispers.

Kenta chuckles bitterly as he says, "It's hard not to when I can remember every detail of that day like it only happened hours ago."

"Even after 17 years," she asks, "You remember everything in such perfect detail after 17 years?"

"There's no forgetting what happened," he sighs.

"I'm not asking you to forget them," Christina replies, "All I want is for you to move forward with me."

"Just move forward," he echoed thoughtfully. "I'll give it a shot."

"That's all I'm asking you to do."

* * *

Christina and Ryusuke board the shuttle that will ferry them to the _Ra Callum_ , which is traveling just far enough from earth's gravity well to not be pulled out of orbit. After an hour, the couple arrives at the flagship of the Londo Bell Special Forces. Once aboard, they don their Normal Suits and proceed straight to flight deck, where their dual Zeta Plus transformable mobile suits await.

Even Kenta cannot help admitting that the Zeta Plus makes the Prototype Gundam he piloted during the last days of the One Year War look like a joke. Both were on the launch catapults in Waverider mode, making the immediate task of atmospheric reentry that much easier since they will launched into it Mother Earth's unforgiving winds.

"Ryusuke Kenta here, I'm heading out," deliberately omitting the military rank he no longer considers relevant, if he ever did.

"Major Christina Mackenzie, launching."

And with that, Ryusuke and Christina descend into Earth's atmosphere, on a course to Borneo.

* * *

Local temperature, 42 degrees Celsius...atmospheric humidity, 78%.

Such conditions are quite different from those Athena experienced during her years in alpine St. Moritz with the Masses, to say nothing of her early childhood in Axis Fortress in the Asteroid Belt. The climate is somewhat reminiscent of Musoma...but owing to the ocean breeze, balmier, more soothing, more tropical…

Athena Ibaz soaks in the brilliant rays of the sun. Attired in a metallic gold G-string micro bikini that leaves little to the imagination in terms of her shapely, finely toned physique, Athena lifts the visor of her straw hat and sips a glass of the Brut champagne she acquired from the private quarters of the long deceased commanding officer of the Hindu Kush supply base, thousands of kilometers to the northwest.

 _So good to just kick back for a while_ , Athena reflects, her longest downtime since...she can't even quite recall.

Athena takes advantage of the downtime to catch up on her reading. She is absorbed in the latest article posted by Mafty...one that warns of fascistic elements in the Earth Federation Forces, particularly one flag-ranking officer named Admiral Manron Blackhead.

"Blackhead is a mad dog," Athena reads from Mafty's blog, "a genocidal maniac who WILL murder hundreds of millions if given the chance! He must not be allowed to accumulate more power!"

The subject becoming intolerably weighty, Athena sets her tablet aside to admire her own curves...the graceful contour of her hips and bottom...the elegant course of her long, coltish legs.

 _Not bad_ , Athena smiles with pleasure.

Her smile fades when she senses two interlopers approaching.

She grabs the Marakov pistol lying at her side and points the weapon at the two approaching figures: a man and a woman.

"That's close enough," Athena says, "who are you people and why are you here? And don't tell me 'Earth Federation Forces' because I can already tell that from your gear. I want names, and I want reasons."

The woman, an attractive red-haired mobile suit pilot who looks at least a decade younger than her forty years, raises her hands and says calmly, "I'm Major Christina Mackenzie. This is Ryusuke Kenta. Frankly, we're here to investigate you, Miss…."

"Athena Ibaz," comes the reply, the Marakov pistol still trained distrustingly on the two Earth Federation Forces officers.

Athena spots Mackenzie's companion...the man named Kenta, and draws in her breath as she recognizes him.

 _It's him_ , Athena shudders, from a sudden feeling of coldness unrelated to her skimpy attire, _the man who killed all those Federation MPs in St. Moritz!_

"You've been on quite a rampage the past two months," smiles Major Mackenzie, "tore up over a dozen Zeon units between Musoma and this location."

"For survival," Athena answers, "They were trying to kill me."

"Undoubtedly," Christina says, even as Athena eyes Ryusuke Kenta uneasily, "and we're very interested in knowing why the ZTF has such an interest in killing you."

"So am I," Athena confesses turning the muzzle of her pistol away as she begins to sense that she can trust these strangers, "You two care for a drink? I wasn't expecting company, but there's enough Brut here for the three of us."

"Why not?" Christina answers, taking a seat next to Athena on the deck. Kenta joins them silently, much to Athena's unease.

Athena pours the champagne into a martini glass and a brandy goblet, handing the first to Christina and the latter to Ryusuke, "My apologies for the breach of etiquette...I didn't figure I'd need more than one champagne glass."

Athena toasts Christina and Ryusuke, and the trio tastes the expensive bubbly.

"We'd like to talk to you about your past, Miss Ibaz," Christina begins in a manner that encourages trust, "and depending on what you tell us, possibly your future."

"I'm listening," Athena says, offering Christina and Ryusuke cigarettes that they politely decline before she ignites her own.

* * *

At that moment, fifty kilometers northwest of Athena's location, a large ZTF attack group led by Captain Patrick Thorne from his vintage Titans ORX-005 Gaplant proceeds towards their target

In addition to Thorne's Gaplant, the attack group also includes one Gallop ground assault vehicle, five Z'gok amphibious mobile suits, fifteen Doms, five standard Hizacks, and a duo of Galbaldy Betas

Thorne radios his crew, "This is Thorne. Target is fifty kilometers southeast of our position. We've received word from our friend on the ark that our target won't be alone. She's going to have two friends with her...one of whom is none other than the 'Devil in Black' himself...Captain Ryusuke Kenta!"

The mention of the name sends a shiver down the spines of the ZTF troops...some in apprehension, some in terror, and some in eagerness and anticipation.

"Kenta is mine, boys," Thorne ensures his men understand, "Your duty is to pluck the feathers off the two birds with him."

* * *

"So you're telling us that with one Gunperry and one Hizack Custom, you outmaneuvered several ZTF squads, making shitburgers out of them across several continents?" Ryusuke Kenta says with a measure of incredulity.

 _After what I saw you do in St. Moritz_ , Athena thinks to herself, _do you find what I did so hard to believe?_

Her words come out slightly more diplomatically, "You don't have to believe any of it, Captain Kenta, but it's the only truth I can tell you."

"Ha! Nobody's called me that since the One Year War," the only man present chuckles, "Though it does beg the question of how you knew that I was a captain."

"I know that a Captain Ryusuke Kenta was an important hero of the Earth Federation Forces during the closing days of that war," Athena answers matter-of-factly, "and judging from your age, it's a safe assumption that you're that same Ryusuke Kenta."

Athena's explanation brings a wan smile to Kenta's face, "Smartass… but the history books are wrong… I'm no hero… If anything, I'm a demon."

Athena puts on a shirt, covering her top, but leaving her legs delightfully exposed, "Hero or demon, now that you're here, you're going to have to deal with whatever shit I attract, but I guess you already counted on that."

Christina smiles, "We came down with a pair of Zeta Pluses; you didn't think we arrived here first-class in commercial shuttlecraft, do you?"

Athena, "No, but when we return to space, I'd certainly like to go first-class."

"That can be arranged," Christina replies, "but first…"

She stops in mid-sentence.

"I think your playmates have found you," the one-time pilot of the Gundam Alex says.

Five seconds later, Athena and Ryusuke sense it too.

Kenta chuckles as he says, "Such is the power of an Empathic Newtype."

Athena begins dressing in her flight suit, "I'm going to take the Hizack into the forest and keep them at bay for a few minutes while you two get to your mobile suits. How far away are they?"

Christina replies, "About a klick from here."

"Then what are you two waiting for?" Athena says aloofly, pulling on her helmet, "Move your Feddie asses!"

Athena disappears into the Hizack's cockpit.

"Bossy bitch," Christina remarks, though with a smile, "not even enlisted yet, and already giving _us_ orders."

"Seems like she's used to people obeying her," Kenta observes noncommittally.

* * *

The ZTF attack group closes in on the target location, now a mere three kilometers out.

"Fan out," Thorne orders his men, "Don't let them pick us off easily, and remember...Kenta is MINE!"

Thorne's troops obey their commanding officer's orders, spreading themselves out across the dense Borneo jungle, some of the treetops tall enough to completely obscure even their 20-meter tall mobile suits.

"Man," one of the Dom pilots complain, "this jungle is dense! All I see is trees!"

"Did I just see something move?" another Dom pilot asks.

"Probably just a vin…!"

The Dom is blasted to an expanding fireball, setting the jungle on fire.

"Fan out wider and stay low!" Thorne orders his men, "or you'll be sitting ducks!"

* * *

Kenta and Christina have lifted off in their Zeta-Pluses, hovering at low altitude, using the smoke created by the conflagration resulting from Athena's immolation of the Dom as cover.

"Not bad," Christina enthuses, "the smoke cover she created will make it difficult for the enemy to spot us."

"It also makes it a little more difficult for us to spot them," Kenta amends, "but we've got something they don't."

"They've got units coming in from the river," Christina notes, checking her combat computer, "Z'Goks. Five of them."

"When's the last time you went swimming, Kenzie?" Kenta asks.

"Two years ago," Christina answers, "when we took that vacation in Aruba."

"You still look great in a swimsuit," Kenta remarks.

"Let's see how I look in a MOBILE suit," Christina answers, transforming her Zeta Plus into mobile suit configuration and plunging into the river.

The Z'Goks, not expecting to be confronted first, are caught flat-footed as Major Christina McKenzie's Zeta Plus tears into them with its beam rifle. Though the water somewhat attenuates the intensity of the Minovsky particle stream, it is nevertheless more enough to reduce to scrap the Z'Gok it penetrates.

Having thus shocked and awed the enemy, Christina launches the Zeta Plus out of the water and back into the air, "Don't want to stay down there too long; that's still their element."

"Remember when we went spearfishing in Aruba?" Kenta says, "What did I show you how to do?"

"Right," Christina answers, drawing out the blue Zeta Plus's beam saber, igniting, and throwing THROUGH the next Z'Gok that emerges from the water, causing it to explode.

"Let me get down there and help you finish them ," Kenta adds as another explosion in the jungle indicates that Athena Ibaz must have taken down another ZTF suit, "before that crazy kid turns this entire jungle into an inferno."

 _And I thought I was a first-class hellraiser_ , Kenta grins.

"Hmmm?" the former Earth Federation Forces ace lifts his head to see a Titans vintage Gaplant, flanked by a pair of RMS-117 Galbaldy Betas, bearing down on him from 10 o'clock high.

Aboard his mobile armor configuration Gaplant, Captain Patrick Thorne smiles as he visualizes the glories sure to be his after he has liquidated the Earth Federation's so-called "Devil in Black."

 _They will praise me above all other heroes of Zeon. Jack Spencer? Char Aznable? Breniff Oguz? Johnny Ridden? Haman Karn? The Zabi Family? BAH! Their names will be as nothing compared the glory that is THORNE. When the books of history have closed upon our time, it will be recorded and taught to schoolchildren for generations to come that Patrick Thorne was the one who led Zeon to its greatest glory...the cornerstone of 10,000 years of Zeon dominance!_

This line of thought was broken by both of his Galbaldy Beta wingmen being vaporized by two individual shots of Kenta's Zeta Beam Rifle.

"Jack doesn't let delusions of grandeur anywhere near his thoughts," Ryusuke taunts his opponent over the universal comms channel, "and I have just enough experience with empathic sensing to know that's what was going on in your head."

"You arrogant bastard," Thorne snarls, "I'm going to make an end you and take your woman as my trophy!"

That is all it takes to make this duel into a demonstration of how a vastly superior combatant can toy with his opposition should he choose.

Ryusuke wears an amused grin as he says, "Then let's see if you can keep pace with me… when Jack and I fought mano-a-mano back in the day during the assault on the mining base, it ended in a draw… your mobile suit and mine are a close match in terms of performance, so this is gonna come down to skill. Tell me, Thorne: do you have the skills needed to best me?"

Thorne growls as he suppresses the growing sense of dread and charges forward in MA Mode with the intent of ramming the Zeta Plus. "DIE FEDDY SCUM!"

Kenta simply sidesteps the attack, the Zeta beam rifle resting lazily against the shoulder of his mobile suit.

"I hope for your sake that wasn't your best shot," he says in a dark tone that shows how amusing this is to him.

Thorne is outraged by his opponent's flippant attitude...as if Kenta does not view him as a threat!

The ZTF veteran points his Gaplant's dual beam cannons at the black Zeta Plus and fires, only for the Devil in Black to dodge once more.

In response, Kenta activates the beam saber function of the Zeta beam rifle and dashes forward, stopping just short of skewering his opponent before declaring, "I win."

Captain Patrick Thorne doesn't get the chance to respond as the beam fires from the rifle, piercing the cockpit and vaporizing the pilot.

"So much for your grandiose ambitions, eh, Thorne?" Kenta says, his voice dripping with derision.

A single Dom, observing the scene from behind the cover of the dense jungle foliate, draws a bead on the back of Kenta's Zeta Plus with its bazooka.

It fails to fire upon Kenta before it is immolated by a powerful beam launcher shot behind its own back!

Athena Ibaz's Hizack Custom, looking worse for the wear with one arm torn off, its head crest broken, and an assortment of burns and breaches in its armor, stumbles out from the jungle.

"You left your back open, Kenta!" Athena complains.

"No, I didn't," Kenta replies with a smile, "I knew you were there, and now, I know where your head and your heart are."

Athena answers only with, "There are still about four of them back there...three Hizacks and one more Dom. You guys finish it. My mobile suit has had it!"

Kenta and Kenzie disappear into the jungle, their mobile suits converted to mobile armor configuration. Several explosions in the jungle, and within minutes, it is over.

The Zeta Pluses return just as Athena clambers out of the cockpit of the Hizack Custom and onto the jungle floor.

The former Duchess of Zeon surveys the heavily damaged Hizack Custom and exhales, "Yeah...it's done. I'm done here too."

Major Christina McKenzie and former Captain Ryusuke Kenta approach the young woman.

"Hey, you OK?" Christina asks, genuinely concerned.

Athena shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm fine, but my mobile suit and the Gunperry are trashed. Looks like I'm done running."

Christina smiles, "There's no need to run anymore...if you don't want to."

Athena glances at Kenta, who nods and grins encouragingly.

Athena turns to Christina, "So you're saying…?"

Christina nods, "We'd like you join us. The Earth Federation Special Forces can use talent like yours."

Athena weighs that option; her goal has been to reform the Federation from within, and maybe this is where she will begin.

"I'll go with you to Shanghai," Athena tells them.

* * *

Christina opens the cockpit hatch of the Zeta Plus, quickly sets up the seldom-used jump seat, and invites Athena to strap herself in.

"So is this a Zeta Gundam?" Athena asks, checking out the transformable mobile suit, presently in its mobile armor configuration.

"Zeta-Plus," Christina amends, strapping herself into the pilot's seat, "second generation derivation of the original Zeta Gundam. This thing is fast, so make sure you're strapped in tight."

"I figure it's more airmobile than the Gunperry," Athena remarks dryly.

"Would you like to try your hand flying it?" Christina asks with a grin, clearly not serious.

"No thanks," Athena responds, "I think I'll just be a passenger this time around."

Kenta's voice comes through their helmet comms, "I've called up Pacific Flight Command. They've given us clearance to hook up with the _Grand Tunny_."

Christina asks, "Rendezvous point?"

Kenta checks and replies, "368 kilometers northwest of here...sending you the heading data now. We'll intercept it in 47 minutes."

"Copy that," Christina replies.

The two Zeta Pluses lift off from the Bornean jungle, accelerating to supersonic speed in the stratosphere.

* * *

"So where are you from, Miss Ibaz?" asks Christina shortly after they're airborne.

"Tanzania," Athena answers plainly.

Christina nods knowingly, "I have a feeling you weren't raised there."

"I'm a drifter," Athena allows, "I go where the wind blows."

"A rolling stone, eh?" Christina pursues, "You know, you look…"

"Mind your flying, Major," Athena cuts her off, "my life is in your hands."

"All right, then," Christina answers, saying no more.

 _Imperious bitch_ , Christina thinks to herself, _Hah! I like her!_

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, in the skies over Malaysia, Captain Kenta and Maj. Mackenzie make visual contact with the _Grand Tunny_ , the Earth Federation Forces' successor to the _Garuda_ -class air transports that ruled the skies during the UC 0080s. Slightly smaller than the mammoth _Garuda_ class, the _Tunny_ class holds the advantage of far superior speed and maneuverability, including the capability of acting as a gunship to an extent that its older, larger cousin never did, compensating for the _Tunny_ 's slightly lower cargo capacity.

"This is Zeta-Plus 01, Maj. Christina Mackenzie of Earth Federation Londo Bell Special Forces, hailing _Grand Tunny_ ," Christina announces through the comms, "requesting permission to dock."

"Permission granted, Zeta-Plus 01," a cockpit tech replies, "Captain Halsey welcomes you aboard."

"Copy that," Christina replies, "extend my thanks to the captain."

The cargo hatch of the _Grand Tunny_ opens, and Christina's Zeta-Plus synchronizes speed and altitude with the _Tunny_...a feat requiring considerable precision and skill, especially with the powerful wake created by the massive _Tunny_ , flying at speeds that previous generations would have considered impossible for an aircraft of such mass.

"This is a high precision maneuver," Christina explains for her passenger, "the slightest miscalculation, and we go down...taking the _Tunny_ with us."

Athena, sitting with her arms crossed, looks and sounds positively bored as she deadpans dryly, "You'd better focus, then."

Christina smiles; if Ibaz is nervous about this, she isn't showing the slightest hint of it.

A marshaller from the crew of the _Grand Tunny_ waves in Christina's Zeta-Plus using a pair of orange signaling batons. Christina, simultaneously keeping track of the marshaller's baton signals, verbal instructions from the _Tunny_ 's bridge crew, and her own instruments, maintains course and speed synchronization, extending the Zeta Plus's magnetic clamp landing gear.

Twenty hair-raising seconds later, the landing gear attaches itself to a corresponding magnetic hook mechanism built onto the landing deck of the _Tunny_ 's cargo hold. The Zeta-Plus abruptly snaps to a dead stop from 205 knots.

"Made it," Christina exhales, removing her helmet and opening the cockpit.

Behind her, Athena Ibaz rises, removes her helmet, grins mysteriously, and puts a hand on Christina's shoulder, saying only, "I'm impressed."

A rising commotion among the _Grand Tunny_ 's deck personnel, as they scream in terror and scramble to whatever safety can be had, alerts them to the approach of Captain Kenta's Zeta-Plus 02, approaching at a speed of at least 400 knots.

"Oh, my God!" somebody screams.

"He's CRAZY!" another concurs.

"Out of the way!" a third roars.

"...th' HELL he doing?!" a fourth voice shouts, "We haven't reset the arrestor gear yet! Holy shit! He's gonna…!

Scarcely 200 meters from the deck, the Zeta Plus 02 transforms from mobile armor into mobile suit configuration, retro and vectoring jets firing, slowing the mighty mechanical warrior down as it lands gracefully on the deck, its armored feet magnetized to the deckplates of the _Tunny_ 's cargo deck.

"He did it better," Athena quips, hiding her slight grin behind the back of one hand.

Christina puts her hands on her hips and glares at Kenta, waving to her from the open cockpit of the Zeta-Plus 02, "Now, he's just showing off."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, having received a warm welcome from the _Grand Tunny_ 's commanding officer, Captain Patrick Halsey, Athena, Christina, and Kenta cool their heels within one of the aircraft's lounges.

Christina and Kenta observe carefully as Athena drinks tea from a ceramic cup held under by a saucer. Even the way she holds the cup and sips the tea bespeaks a privileged background - Old World class - that belies her self-claimed drifter status.

Kenta further notes the young woman, beautiful, though commanding even at a mere seventeen years of age, carefully studying her environs...taking mental note of every nook and niche of the _Tunny_ 's internal layout...almost as if she were planning an escape (or takeover of the aircraft), though Kenta does not believe such a plan to be likely, given that Athena Ibaz had requested to go with them to Shanghai.

Bored, Kenta opens one of the lounge's cabinets, spotting a stack of board games and magazines.

"Well, what have we here?" Kenta says, pulling out a flat cardboard box, " _Shogi_. Been a while since I played. Kenzie?"

Christina answers, "Maybe later. I need to report to General Noa."

"Ibaz?" Kenta invites.

Without answering, Athena steps over to the table, sets aside the teacup and saucer, and takes a seat.

"Ever play _shogi_ before?" Kenta asks.

"Never," Athena answers, "but if it's anything like European chess, I'll figure it out."

"Fundamentally, it's not that different," Kenta tells her, setting up the board and pieces, "Let me explain a few of the differences."

Kenta's explanation is thorough, but does not take long. In fewer than ten minutes, Athena has a fundamental understanding of how _shogi_ works differently from European chess.

 _She's a fast learner_ , Kenta observes, _as expected_.

As the experienced player, Kenta allows Athena to make the opening move. She surprises him slightly with a conservative move.

 _She's probing_ , Kenta notes, _she's clearly not going to make any big moves until she knows more_.

As game play progresses, Kenta feigns vulnerability, attempting to bait Athena into making big, aggressive moves in which he can trap her. She is patient, however, and it takes time for Kenta to draw her into making such a maneuver.

When she does, Kenta nails her, taking her emperor piece.

"You lasted longer than I thought you would, Ibaz," Kenta says with a grin, "but you were always going to go down."

Athena pulls out her gold pocket watch to check the time; they have been in flight for more than 45 minutes.

"Cool watch," Kenta remarks, "18 carats, at the very least...must cost five figures."

Athena closes the watch and repockets it in her vest, "It was my father's."

"Your daddy must have been someone important," Kenta observes.

"Was," Athena answers, "I don't have much memory of him."

Kenta, "You're like...seventeen this year? Your daddy a One Year War veteran?"

"Yes," Athena responds plainly.

"I'm not going to ask which side," Kenta tells her, "Wouldn't be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"There's still at least an hour before we touch down in Shanghai," Athena remarks, "Go another round?"

"You're a glutton for punishment," Kenta says.

"We'll see," Athena answers darkly.

Another round...and although Athena begins probingly, as before, she mounts a far more aggressive attack much sooner than she did in the previous match...not giving Kenta a millimeter of breathing space.

 _High risk maneuvers_ , Kenta notes, _big risks, but big rewards_.

Once again, Athena plays Kenta tightly, but once again, he takes her emperor.

"You were more than ready to sacrifice it all to take me down," Kenta says, "even though there wasn't much of a chance you would."

"Mmm-hm," Athena confirms.

"You didn't think about those pieces you risked and sacrificed?" Kenta probes.

"It's just a game," Athena shrugs.

"But what if they were real lives?" Kenta presses further.

Athena does not answer, but gives him a mysterious smile and gazes at him through those strikingly bright green eyes.

Major Christina Mackenzie enters the lounge, "Captain Halsey says we'll be entering Shanghai airspace in about twenty minutes, so we'd better get ready."

* * *

Throughout her long sojourn across the Asian steppes, Athena had piloted both the Gunperry and the Hizack Custom mobile suit clad in an aviator's flight suit and helmet. The same garb was also deemed adequate, by necessity, for the flight from Borneo to intercept the _Grand Tunny_.

Now, however, Athena finds Major Mackenzie handing her a normalsuit and helmet. A straightforward airstrip landing would not seem to require such a precaution, but Athena knows better than to argue, quickly donning the protective gear.

"Getting out of here and onto the ground will be like something you might have seen in old-time spy movies," Christina comments, putting on her helmet.

"You don't say," Athena, already helmeted, comments in response, arms crossed and expression and body-language as insouciant as ever.

The _Grand Tunny_ 's rear cargo hatch opens, and the sprawl of metropolitan Shanghai with its 30 million inhabitants looms below.

A green light on the deck indicates the authorization to detach and depart.

The Zeta-Plus 01 plummets out of the back of the _Grand Tunny_ in mobile armor configuration. Several seconds later, Christina redirects its orientation into a nosefirst power dive towards the ground.

"Remember...what I told...you...back...on...the deck…," Christina tells Athena, "Hold your breath and squeeze your stomach...kind of...like taking...a shit….in reverse….like this…'hnnngh'...push the blood back into...your head!"

"Hnngh," is all Athena manages by way of affirmation, following Christina's directives and privately glad that she had visited the head on the _Tunny_ just before donning the normalsuit, or she would have made a terrible mess in it by now.

Athena sees the urban sprawl of the city grow larger and larger ahead of (below) them. She glances to the side and sees Kenta's Zeta-Plus 02 making a similar dive.

In her helmet visor, Athena can read the altimeter...9,000 meters….8,000 meters...7,000…

Athena shakes her head and holds her breath again, "taking a shit in reverse," as Christina had frankly and accurately articulated it, as her peripheral vision momentarily grows foggy. She feels her ears popping and a splitting headache…

At 500 meters, the pair of Zeta-Pluses extend their legs and activate retro-thrusters, slowing themselves to a near crawl as the mobile armors unfold into mobile suits and touch down on the tarmac.

Christina removes her helmet and turns back to Athena with a grin, "Fun?"

"Thrilling," Athena admits, removing her own helmet, "Now get me to the nearest sink or latrine so I can be sick…"

Christina helps Athena out of the Zeta-Plus cockpit; the 17-year-old former Grand Duchess never makes it to a sink or latrine, spewing her guts up onto the tarmac...two cups of tea and a few hardtack crackers.

Athena collapses on the tarmac. Kenta and Christina examine her before a paramedic crew arrives.

"She'll be OK," Kenta says, "That power dive was just a bit more than she could handle."

Christina nods as the paramedics examine Athena and lift her onto a stretcher, "She did better than I did the first time."

Thirty minutes later, a lucid Athena Ibaz has been given a clean bill of health and allowed to depart the airbase infirmary with Major Mackenzie and Captain Kenta.

* * *

With the destruction of previous Earth Federation Government capital of Lhasa, Tibet during the Second Neo Zeon War, the surviving government apparatus moved its operations to Shanghai, China, including the Legislative and Deliberative Assemblies, formerly located in Dakar, Senegal.

Three passengers board SUV shuttles that bear them away from the aerospace base station and across the capital metropolis, still a resplendent Jewel of the East whose architectural decor continues to reflect the historical grandeur of its 20th and 21st Century past. Within thirty minutes, they arrive at the offices of the Central Ministry of the Earth Federation Forces, where at 08:13, Athena Ibaz is officially enlisted in the Earth Federation Forces.

Formal induction will occur after Athena's documents are processed, a procedure that will require days. In any case, Athena's training will occur at Side 7's Revil Base. As no commercial or military transports (the latter needed by Ryusuke and Christina for their mobile suits) from Shanghai to Side 7 are scheduled until the following evening, the trio spends the night at Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel.

Having checked into their rooms, the trio decides to have dinner at the venerable Dragon and Phoenix Restaurant in the lobby of the grand old hotel, a venue famous for its fine Chinese cuisine.

The head waiter seats the trio near a window, from which they can see Shanghai's famed, beautiful Bund waterfront district.

"I hear the Beijing Duck here is excellent," Athena remarks, reviewing the menu.

"Why not?" Christina answers, "It's on the Federation's dime. General Noa loaned me his military credit card."

Kenta looks out at the view of the the Bund and remarks, "Three-hundred or so years ago, gangsters fought over this turf. The streets ran red with blood every day, as European and Japanese imperialists struggled both alongside and against the local Chinese gangs and nationalistic agitators over control. Not much has changed in three-hundred years. Different people, different turf...same stupidity."

The waiter comes to take their order, and Athena orders the Beijing Duck and a vintage bottle of Chablis, dating back to UC 0069.

"You have expensive tastes, kid," Kenta observes.

"There may be no tomorrow," Athena responds, "and I'd really hate it if my final drink was from a canister of water I lifted from the Hindu Kush supply base."

"Good point," Kenta answers.

The delicious meal arrives, along with the delectable wine. One hour later, the trio is more than comfortably satiated, if not slightly drunk.

Christina asks for the bill, to which the waiter replies, "It's already been paid, ma'am."

Christina's eyes widen in alarm, "By who?"

"That gentleman over there, ma'am," the waiter replies, indicating a handsome young man around Athena's age, clad in a burgundy three-piece suit.

The young man toasts them with his drink, but only Athena sees fit to return the toast.

Athena, without taking her eyes off the handsome young man, says to Christina, "You said on the Federation's dime, right?"

Christina turns her eyes towards Athena, "Uh oh. What do you have in mind, Athena?"

Athena grins.

Five minutes later, the waiter brings a refilled glass and a fresh bottle of Chablis to the young man, who rises and smiles pleasantly as he walks over to the table where Athena, Christina, and Kenta are seated.

"I must thank you for your kindness, Miss..." the young man begins graciously, offering his hand to her.

"...Athena Ibaz," Athena finishes for him, taking his hand,"and it's we who need to thank you for your kindness first, Mr…."

"Noa," the young man finishes, "Hathaway Noa."

Kenta and Kenzie exchange silent glances, but say nothing.

Hathaway Noa, too absorbed with Athena and her ethereal beauty to notice her two companions, continues, "You aren't from around here, are you? I've lived in Shanghai for some time now, and I haven't seen you around. I would definitely have noticed a young lady as strikingly pretty as you."

Athena answers, "Thank you. I'm just passing through. I'm on my way to Side 7 tomorrow."

"Such a shame," Hathaway remarks, genuinely chagrined and reluctant to let go of Athena's hand, "Hope we meet again if you should ever come through Shanghai in the future."

"We should," Athena remarks, also reluctantly letting go of Hathaway's hand.

When Hathaway is out of earshot, Christina whispers to her two companions, "That kid is General Noa's son!"

"Hathaway Noa," Kenta confirms, "He's in hot water with his old man over that incident in 0093. You're not planning on telling your boss about this encounter, are you, Chris?"

Christina mulls that over.

Athena sips her Chablis, indifferent to Kenta and Kenzie's discussion.

 _Hathaway Noa…_

* * *

A day later, Athena, Christina, and Ryusuke are aboard an Earth Federation transport shuttle, launching from Shanghai Aerospace Base Station to Side 7's Revil Base.

In her seat, Athena reads again from her personal tablet...a new posting from Mafty.

The words, however, make her scowl. Up until now, they had made her smile.

"...and the only viable solution is the complete destruction of the Earth Federation."

 _Complete destruction_ , Athena muses, _such a waste. Why destroy what you can use for your own purposes?_

Athena takes a look out the viewport at the Earth, fading out of view behind her.

 _Hathaway Noa…_


	4. Chapter 3: Rogue Gundam

_05:00, June, U.C. 0097, the office of General Bright Noa at the Ministry of Defense, Revil Base, Side 7…_

General Noa has summoned Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, (ret.) Captain Ryusuke Kenta, and 1Lt. Eric Gardner of the Intelligence Corps to his office. The subject of their discussion: Cadet Athena Ibaz, presently undergoing basic training at the Officer's Academy.

Stepping to his desk, Bright begins before even taking his seat, "I've summoned you all here this morning to discuss the new recruit, Athena Ibaz. I've ordered 1Lt. Gardner of the Intelligence Corps to run a background check on Cadet Ibaz. He will presently share his findings with us, and I'd like Lt. Col. Mackenzie and Captain Kenta to corroborate what Lt. Gardner tells us. Lieutenant, you may begin."

"Thank you, General," the dapper 1Lt. Gardner replies. Gardner clears his throat before beginning, "I've accessed and cross-referenced multiple civilian and military registries. What I found is that until three years ago, 'Athena Ibaz' simply did not exist, at least in not any substantial, verifiable way. I kept digging and connected her to a minor named 'Tina Mass,' who is the adopted daughter of Senator Teabolo Mass…"

Kenta interrupts Gardner, "Hold on...adopted daughter of Senator Mass?"

"Yes, sir," Gardner confirms.

General Noah interjects, "Ryusuke, what is it?"

"I was wondering why she seemed so wary of me," Kenta answers, "she's seen my demons."

Christina had only ever once seen that side of her lover… she can only imagine how that would affect a child. "That was a long time ago...continue with your report, Lt. Gardner."

"It gets more interesting the farther you go back in this girl's history," Gardner tells them, "the trail goes completely cold before the spring of UC 0089. Until she was enrolled as a 5th Grader at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz in St. Moritz, Switzerland in the spring of that year, she was pretty much a nonexistent phantom. No 'Athena Ibaz.' No 'Tina Mass.' No birth record. No medical record. No citizenship record...NOTHING."

"Mystery girl," Captain Mackenzie remarks, "many records were lost due to the chaos created by the wars."

"Ibaz's history doesn't add up," Kenta concurs.

"Cipher or not," Bright says, leaning back in his chair, "she's in our hands now, and that works to our advantage. It's better that she's here, under our aegis, than a wildcard out there. Someone of her capabilities could prove a serious threat if our enemies were to recruit her."

"What do you have in mind, General?" Captain Mackenzie asks.

Bright answers, "As soon as she completes basic training, fast-track her into the Special Forces program as a mobile suit pilot."

"In the meantime, I'll dive into the historical records and run some facial recognition into who Athena really is." Gardner says, "Who knows? We might get lucky."

* * *

In other offices at the same ministry tower, other voices discuss the same topic.

"This...child wiped out several ZTF units across three continents," Col. Peter Cairlay reports to his superior officer, Admiral Manron Blackhead of the Earth Federation Space Corps, "equipped only with an unarmed Gunperry and a commandeered Hizack Custom."

Blackhead nods, "Quite impressive. You say that Mackenzie recruited her into the Federation Forces?"

"Yes, sir," Cairlay affirms, "Ibaz is presently undergoing training at the Officer's Academy."

"She could be very useful to us," Blackhead muses, steepling his fingers, a dark smile crossing his florid face, "at the very least, we don't want her to fall into Bright Noa's hands."

"She's likely to get a Special Forces assignment," Col. Cairlay remarks, "and that would put her under my supervision."

"See to it," Blackhead orders, "and arrange for her to be placed under Captain Tinne's direct command in the Centurion Team."

* * *

At one of the many cadet gymnasiums on the base, new recruit Cadet Athena Ibaz undergoes a routine of sit-ups.

"...96, 97, 98, 99, 100!" the training officer counts off.

Athena sits upright as the officer nods with approval, "You're more fit than expected."

"Yes, sir," Athena answers, panting and wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

 _Living on the run for months was one hell of a workout_ , Athena thinks to herself, without verbalizing.

"Yeah," the training officer says somewhat offhandedly, "read about your adventures down on Earth. No matter what you did down there, it doesn't meant anybody will cut you any slack here."

"No, sir," Athena responds.

 _Like I would want your "slack," you loud-mouthed peon_ , she thinks to herself.

"Push ups, Ibaz," the training officer demands, "at least 100 of them, NOW!"

"Yes, sir!" Athena answers, and complies with alacrity.

 _If I were still the Duchess of Zeon, you'd have been shot by now_ , comes the unbidden thought.

The drill instructor writes into his tablet, "Cadet Ibaz demonstrates accelerated abilities in various aspects. Compliant. Definitely officer material. Seems to be holding something back. Probably refraining from speaking out of turn to her superior."

* * *

Much, much later that day, at 21:56, Cadet Athena Ibaz leans back on her bunk the the cadet barracks and reads off her data pad. She scans back and forth between General Abraham Revil's treatise on space warfare strategies and Mafty's latest column...her brain sorting out the two conflicting streams of information.

Mafty's latest article details the daily atrocities committed by the Earth Federation at Side 3 - sometimes through active malice, but just as often simply through malicious neglect. Stark figures of death by disease, accident, and active military aggression, supported by leaked footage that the Federation has, thus far, failed to fully censor or suppress, are juxtaposed against General Revil's trenchant strategic analysis.

Athena's roommate, Cadet Anna Horowitz, turns over in her bunk, bleary-eyed, and complains, "Give it a fucking rest, Ibaz. We already trained for 14 hours today. Isn't that enough for you? I can't believe you're blowing what little energy you have left on whatever shit you're reading."

"Lights out is just three minutes from now," Athena answers dryly, "Bear with it just three more minutes."

Anna curses under her breath and pulls the covers over her head.

 _Over 1,000 children die every week at Side 3,_ Athena reads in silent horror from Mafty's blog entry, even as her other eye processes General Revil's assessment of the Earth Federation Forces' inefficiency.

 _Are things really as bad back at Side 3 as Mafty is reporting_ , Athena wonders, _or is he just blowing smoke? I need to see for myself..._

Athena continues reading until the lights in the barracks are switched off at precisely 22:00.

"Lights out, Cadet Ibaz," the voice of the training officer booms, "You can fill your head with that nonsense tomorrow."

Athena switches off her tablet and sets it aside. She lies down on her bunk, but is unable to sleep...an increasingly frequent problem of late.

* * *

At that same moment, a half kilometer away in his office, General Bright Noa reviews a report from Side 3 and sighs with disgust. Another folder, classified folder containing information on a new Gundam prototype lies unopened in a corner of the screen.

Lt. Col. Mackenzie, Captain Kenta, and 1Lt. Gardner left the office some hours ago. Bright stayed behind to catch up on the work he set aside to discuss matters with them.

Bright's secretary, Sfc. Rachel McGillicuddy, brings the general a fresh a cup of coffee, his favorite Colombian espresso.

"Thank you, Rachel," Bright says, sipping from the cup thoughtfully as he continues reading the report on Side 3.

Rachel is about to leave the general's office when she hears him moan in disgust.

"General?" Rachel probes.

"This report," Bright says, a look of horror evident on his face, "one of our Hizack patrols at Side 3 opened fire on a transport that had been identified as smuggling weapons into the colony. The transport...carried relief workers, including nuns from the Order of St. Monica, and desperately needed medical supplies."

"Side 3 has been volatile since the end of the Second Neo Zeon conflict," Rachel offers, noting Bright's reactions carefully.

"There's no excuse for this kind of brutality," Bright rumbles, "our Earth Federation Forces must do better than this."

"Why haven't we, sir?" Rachel ventures.

"Politics," Bright replies, his disgust evident, "a deadly cocktail of malice and incompetence from the top down."

Rachel has heard enough of Bright's tirades to know that her boss has never been a supporter of the current Earth Federation President, Terrence Torrance, a career bureaucrat who ran and won office on an Earthist security platform in the election of UC 0090 after the First Neo Zeon War and cruised to a second term after the election of UC 0096 after the Second Neo Zeon War. Torrance's administration has long been associated with an anti-Spacenoid streak, invoking the name of "Zeon" (or more commonly, the slur "Zeke") to stoke the fires of fear and resentment among his constituents living on Earth and in Federation-friendly space colonies.

"Do you blame President Torrance, sir?" Rachel asks.

"The President is only the symptom of a much deeper problem," Bright answers, "but his administration reflects the kind of thinking that resulted in the wars of the past two decades. Changes are imperative..."

* * *

 _One year later, June UC 0098..._

Side 3, originally designated "Munzo" in the UC 0030s, has taken a variety of names in its relatively brief existence - Republic of Zeon, Archduchy (or Principality) of Zeon, Archduchy of Axis Zeon. Presently, in UC 0097 it is designated the Protectorate of Side 3, under the rule of the Earth Federation Occupation Forces.

Considered the crown jewel of the space colonies, the most prosperous and opulent, as recently as twenty years ago, the present-day Protectorate of Side 3 is, in many ways, reminiscent of the many historical occupied war zones that have preceded it: a paradox of authoritarianism existing alongside anarchy. Colossal Earth Federation Forces GM-III mobile suits patrol the streets of Zum City, while unattended children play in their gargantuan footpaths. Thousands line up for their daily or weekly consignment of basic supplies - food, potable water, medicines - all of which are of in limited availability and have been since the collapse of the most recent Zeon regime. At one intersection, a gang of youths chucks Molotov cocktails into the midst of an Earth Federation Occupation Forces' foot patrol squad. At another intersection, occupation forces troops beat down several teens suspected of possessing unauthorized items. Across the once-glittering cityscape of Zum City, not a single building stands in pristine condition. Every structure among the hundreds of thousands that dot the colony's internal surface bears the scar of two decades of war and military occupation. Vermin brought into the colony by cargo ships, indifferently processed by uncaring customs authorities, bring infectious disease into an environment that once scarcely knew it.

A tall, thin, trenchcoated man with greasy grey hair plies down the streets of Zum City as quickly as his legs can bear him. His face partly obscured by the fedora on his head, the man makes a beeline for a partly dilapidated building that houses an emergency medical clinic operated by Sayla Mass, M.D.

Dr. Mass...Sayla...is now 37 years old, though the years have been kind to her and she looks scarcely different from how she did during her time as a member of the _White Base_ crew under Captain Bright Noa during the One Year War. Having earned her medical degree in UC 0084, Sayla served as a humanitarian physician in many war-torn parts of the world, including near the previous Earth Federation Government capital in Dakar, Senegal during the late UC 0080s.

After the death of her brother, Casval Daikun - known variously as "Edward Mass," "Char Aznable," and "Quattro Bajeena," Sayla resolved to take up her late brother and their father, Zeon Daikun's cause of spacenoid independence, organizing the Independent Spacenoid Republic movement at Side 3.

At the moment her visitor arrives, Dr. Mass is occupied with a mother and child, both suffering from dysentery.

"Ideally, we'd put both of you on an IV drip for rehydration," Sayla tells her patients, "but all IV apparatus is currently already in use by more urgent cases. Rehydrate as much as you can orally, using sterilized water, and take these antibiotics. Come see me again in two days if the problem persists."

The mother and child thank Dr. Mass and head home...one of many mass shelters scattered throughout Zum City. Sayla knows that the sterilized water she recommended might be difficult to come by.

"If the problem persists," Sayla's visitor repeats sarcastically, "I'm pretty sure our problems are going to persist."

"If there's one thing I've always been able to absolutely count on, Kai," Sayla responds, "it's your snark and cynicism."

Despite the acid exchange, Sayla Mass and Kai Shiden embrace as the old friends and colleagues they are, a bond they have shared for nearly twenty years since their days as crewmates on the _White Base_ , where Sayla initially served on the bridge of the Federation mobile suit carrier as a communications tech before being reassigned as a Core Booster pilot, and Kai served as the pilot of the first RX-77 Guncannon (C-108).

"'Fraid I don't have much good news to report," Kai tells Sayla, as they disengage their platonic embrace, "the pilot of that Hizack that attacked the supply convoy has been taken off active duty, but it's unlikely that he'll be court-martialed. At most, he might be demoted and reassigned far away from here."

"Cold comfort for the dead," Sayla remarks.

"No comfort for anyone with a shred of decency," Kai amends, his teeth bared, "If this were the old days…"

"But it's not the old days," Sayla points out, "and even if it were, we didn't move out unless we got the direct order from Bright...at least if we didn't want to spend a few days locked up in the brig."

Kai chuckles at some not-so-fond memories, "You know...it's pretty ironic that we're pitted against Bright and Mirai these days. Who would have thought…?"

"They're not really our enemies," Sayla takes her turn to amend, "I admit we're in an awkward position with our old comrades and friends, but that's purely circumstantial."

"Maybe," Kai concedes noncommittally, "You know if Amuro were still with us…"

"Kai, please," Sayla cuts him off, almost pleadingly.

"All right, all right, sorry," Kai answers, more defensively than necessary, "I'm not trying to push your buttons. I just wanted to say…"

At that moment, a handsome youth, blonde-haired and blue-eyed, steps into the clinic, "Mom? Oh. Hi, Mr. Shiden."

Kai smiles, "Good seeing you, kid! We were just talking about your…"

Sayla silences Kai with a glare.

Kai changes the subject, "...some old times. Anyway. I've got to go. You'll be hearing from me soon."

As Kai steps towards the door, a grey-haired, bearded gentleman steps into the clinic. The two men exchange unfriendly glances.

"Spencer," Kai mutters.

"Shiden," Col. Jack Spencer acknowledges the other man, almost like he would acknowledge a dog.

Not wishing to linger a moment longer in Spencer's presence, Kai doubles his pace and makes his way out of the clinic and back into the streets.

"Lady Artasia," Jack begins, with a grace he usually keeps concealed.

Sayla smiles pleasantly, "No need for formalities, Jack...we're old friends."

Turning to her son, Sayla says, "Christian, could you go help some of the patients in the waiting room? I need to talk to Col. Spencer privately for a few minutes."

"Sure thing, Mom," the boy named Christian answers, complying with Sayla's instructions.

"What did Shiden want?" Jack asks after the boy leaves.

Sayla answers somewhat evasively, "Just to rehash some old times. Everybody is feeling...a bit demoralized by the recent incident concerning the downing of that cargo transport."

"You should have seen how Mother Superior reacted," Jack grunts, "I ain't ever seen that old bat more ready for war… and I've known Sister Yolanda for several years now… She was even planning to mobilize the Rick Dias mobile suits I got for her…thank God I managed to talk her down."

"What'd you get her in return?" Sayla asks cautiously.

"The trigger happy bastard who blew up the freighter, " Jack answers gruffly with a smile.

Sayla gulps silently.

"You can't be soft-hearted, Artasia," Jack says matter of factly, "You saw combat during the One Year War, so you know that. If you want this revolution to matter, you can't be hesitant to dirty your hands when necessary."

"I'm a doctor by training," Sayla says, "and a revolutionary only by necessity."

"You keep thinking that way," Jack remarks, "and your revolution will never get off the ground. That's not what I came here to discuss with you today, though."

"That sounds serious," Sayla answers, taking a seat on her physician's chair, "serious enough that you had to come here and visit in person rather than just tell me through our other channels. Tell me, Jack: what is it?"

"I found her again," he replies with a smirk.

"Her?" Sayla's eyebrows rise, "do you mean…?"

"Yes, I mean Mineva,"Jack affirms.

"Teabolo and Amelia told me a few years ago that they had adopted Mineva and she had become my 'younger sister,' Tina," Sayla says, "but I lost track of her after a while. Teabolo and Amelia didn't say much, other than that Tina had been...traveling."

Jack rubs one eye with the back of his fist, "Well, she's picked up one of your brother's bad habits, because now, she's calling herself 'Athena Ibaz.'"

"Athena Ibaz," Sayla smiles, picking up on the reference, "Unforgettable name: seems a little obvious, though."

"Not as obvious as you might think," the Colonel replies, "she joined the Federation Military."

"The Earth Federation Forces?" Sayla's eyes widen incredulously, "What…?"

"My guess is that she plans to fix the Federation from the inside," he answers her, "which probably won't work, but it does give us an ally on the inside."

"She sure has guts for someone her age," Sayla remarks, "and brains too."

Jack nods, "She doesn't lack for bravery or resourcefulness, but her Achilles' heel is her overconfidence...same as your brother, though I'd say Mineva has better sense than he did."

"Jack," Sayla says pleadingly, "Don't let her end up like Casval did. Please."

"I'll do what I can," he replies as he runs his prosthetic hand through his greying hair, "but I'm not making any promises."

A knock comes at the door.

"Who is it?" Sayla asks.

"Dr. Mass, it's me...Dory."

"Dory…" Sayla exhales, opening the door.

"Dr. Mass," Dory Ischinda, a string reporter for the _Cislunar Free Media_ enters, "We need to...oh...didn't realize we had company."

"Come on in here, Ichinda," Jack says, "It's important that you're aware of what I need to tell Artasia next: Anaheim Enterprises is nearing completion of a new Gundam prototype at their plant at Anman City and will be delivering it to the Earth Federation Forces' Revil Base at Side 7 within a few weeks."

Both women gasp, but only Sayla whispers half hopefully, half fearfully, "Gundam…"

"Gundam," Jack affirms, "and only time will tell if that's good or bad news for us."

* * *

At Anaheim Enterprises' primary production plant at Anman City, a crew of workers puts the finishing touches on a prototype war machine over which they have labored for the better part of the past four years. At long last, the latest in the line of the Earth Federation Forces' feared Gundam-class mobile suits is nearly ready to roll out: the RX-780 Gundam-100, the first product of the Earth Federation Forces' Project: Centurion second universal century mobile weapons development initiative.

Observing the work is the project leader and chief designer of the RX-780, Dr. Kamille Bidan. AEUG hero of the Gryps Conflict and pilot of the first MSZ-0006 Zeta Gundam, Kamille completed his doctorate degree in mobile suit engineering and design at Cal Tech on Earth following the Second Neo Zeon War and has been employed by Anaheim Research and Development as a chief engineer for the past four years.

Kamille looks up at his latest brainchild and sighs - a sigh that encompasses so many conflicted thoughts and feelings. Though only 27 years old, Kamille has had experiences that make him feel twice that age.

The gentle touch of the hand of Fa Yuri-Bidan, Kamille's personal assistant and wife of three years, brings him out of his brooding reverie.

"Hey," Fa says, encouraging smile on her face, "What's wrong?"

Kamille indicates the Gundam-100, "Pretty soon, I'll be turning over my latest baby there to the Earth Federation Forces. Goodness knows how they'll use it."

"You had four years to think that over," Fa remarks fairly, "It's too late to have second thoughts about it now."

"You're right," Kamille answers his wife, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses clean, "but I feel like Dr. Robert Oppenheimer after he helped to develop the first atomic weapon: 'I become Death - Destroyer of Worlds.'"

"Now you're talking morbidly," Fa says, "Don't worry so much. Bright is now in charge of the Earth Federation Forces at Side 7."

"Not just him," Kamille reminds her, "There are others too, not nearly as trustworthy."

"It's not out of your hands yet if you want to do something about it," Fa tells him.

"No," Kamille says, "my days as a mobile suit combat pilot are over. This will play out...the way it's meant to play out, and that's without me in the cockpit."

An irrepressible ten-year-old girl with feline features and dirty blonde hair runs into the room, squealing, "Oh my God! Uncle Kamille! Auntie Fa! Is that it?!"

Kamille puts a finger to his lip for silence, "This is a secure facility, Sarah. Even so, no need to advertise to the whole world."

The girl lowers her voice to a discreet whisper, "Is that the new Gundam?"

"Yes," Kamille replies, "RX-780 Gundam-100. The new century's successor to the original Gundam."

"Wow," the girl named Sarah exhales and gazes at the armored form dreamily.

Fa grins and whispers to Kamille, "She's not at all like her mother."

"Or her father," Kamille replies more grimly, "and we should make sure it stays that way."

* * *

Far across the Solar System in the Asteroid Belt, the Phobos Principality of Neo Zeon is abuzz with activity as its ruler, General Alexander Miguel, conducts war games among his own forces - training for confrontation against Phobos' many enemies, particularly the rival Zeon regimes, each ruled by a warlord who claims for himself/herself legitimacy as ruler of Zeon and have divided control of the Outer Solar System among themselves during the past eight years since the death of Regent Haman Karn and the disappearance of Duchess Mineva Zabi.

Aboard his MSN-04II Nightingale, a mobile suit designed by his sister Nanai and originally slated for Supreme Leader Char Aznable, 27-year-old Alexander leads his elite Phobos shock troops, equipped with MS-14P Gelgoog Phobos Marine types, through deadly combat maneuvers. With deadly, well-trained expertise, the Phobos Zeon mobile suit pilots encircle and savage the target drones deployed against them, bringing into play an assortment of projectile and beam weapons.

"Pick it up, ladies and gentlemen," the devilishly handsome Alexander entones, "laggards inevitably become casualties on the field of battle."

"General Miguel," the voice of Col. Roth Davenport, Alexander's loyal adjutant, sounds through the tactical net, "Forgive the interruption, sir. Important communique for you from our Friends Out West."

"I'll take it in private, Colonel," Alexander responds, and then to the Gelgoog Marine squad, "Bring it in. We will continue our training at 04:00 in the morning."

* * *

Within an hour, General Miguel is in his spacious, luxurious office within Phobos Colony, built into the natural Martian satellite of that name. The hollowed asteroid, measuring 17 x 22 x 18 km, serves not only as a permanent garrison/fortress for the Phobos Zeon Forces, but is also seat of government for the Principality of Phobos Neo Zeon. Within the asteroid colony are facilities for life support, manufacturing, and agriculture - a fully self-sustaining space colony that includes Phobos City, a metropolis housing a population of 1.5 million people, both military and civilian.

General Miguel turns to the mammoth widescreen monitor in his office, looking at a figure seated in the shadows of a dimmed office.

"Lord Miguel," the individual on screen says, "the delivery date for the Gundam-100 prototype to Side 7's Revil Base has been set. We will make our move during the unit's testing operations."

"Good," Miguel replies calmly, "the funds have been disbursed to your Swiss bank account. I expect prompt delivery."

"You have my personal guarantee, Lord Miguel," the figure answers, stepping into the light to reveal him as Admiral Manron Blackhead of the Earth Federation Space Forces.

"I have complete faith in you, Admiral Blackhead," Miguel says, a sly smile barely perceptible on his diabolically charismatic countenance.

* * *

Inside his studio/bedroom at Miguel Manor elsewhere in Phobos City, 16-year-old Jonah Miguel's fresh, handsome young face is smeared in assorted colors of paint as he puts the finishing touches on his latest creation.

"Perfect!" Jonah enthuses as he steps back to admire his workmanship on a portrait over which he has labored for weeks.

On his easel stands a stately portrait of his elder brother Alexander, appearing heroic and regal in his military attire.

A knock comes at the door of Jonah's studio/bedroom. Jonah opens the door and finds the subject of his latest painting standing before him. Both brothers are tall, Alexander towering at 193 cm while Jonah stands an impressive (for his age) 178 cm himself.

"Alex," Jonah tells his brother, the youth's eyes flashing with excitement, "Come check this out, Bro. I made this for you!"

Alexander looks upon the impressive portrait of himself and smiles, "Excellent work, Jonah. Your talent as an artist is extraordinary. You've captured a true-to-life representation of me. I will treasure this."

Jonah beams with pride at his brother's praise.

"However," Alexander begins, turning to a second portrait, not yet complete, of an angelically beautiful young girl of Asian descent around Jonah's own age, with long, black hair and wide, soulful eyes, "as an heir to Phobos Zeon, you must, by law and custom, apply a different kind of talent for a much more important purpose."

Jonah sighs, knowing precisely the meaning behind Alexander's words. They have had this discussion before, more than once, never pleasantly.

"Alex," Jonah says imploringly, "I've already told you before: I don't want to be a soldier. I'm not made out for life as a combatant. In terms of temperament, skill, and interest, being a military man doesn't suit me at all."

"I knew you would say that," Alexander responds, looking in a troubled manner at the unfinished portrait of the pretty Asian girl, experiencing an uneasy sense of recognition, "but make no mistake, Jonah: I am not offering you a choice. I am enrolling you in the junior officers' academy after this summer."

"What?!" Jonah reacts with shock and appall, "Alex, you can't…!"

"I already have," Alexander cuts him off, "and you will comply."

"I'm not one of your soldiers, Alex," Jonah retorts, "you can't give me orders!"

Alexander responds with a backhanded slap of his right hand that sends Jonah reeling, crashing into the portrait of the girl, shattering it

Alexander points menacingly at his younger brother, "I raised you after our father's death. He expects the same of you as he did of me, and I swear to you: you will pay a heavy penalty if you fail to live up to your obligations as a man of Zeon and a member of the Miguel family."

So saying, Alexander leaves the room. Jonah knows that his older brother is not one to make idle threats.

Jonah wipes blood from the corner of his mouth and gazes despondently at the shattered portrait of the girl...a vision he has seen in his dreams, both waking and asleep, for years...since the onset of adolescence.

He senses her reaching out to him across the cosmos, her name coming to him fleetingly…

 _Jolie…_

* * *

The following morning, Jonah picks up the pieces of the portrait of the wide-eyed Asian girl with long, black hair...pondering his future with great apprehension. Since he was a very young boy, his goal has been to study art at _L'École des Beaux-Arts_ in Paris, France on Earth...not become a soldier at war. His delicate hands are meant for handling paint brushes, not automatic weapons. His heart, moreover, is meant for treasuring and capturing the beauty of life, not destroying it in war.

But Alex also spoke the truth when he said that he had raised Jonah since the death of their father, and had brought him up attentively, if not indulgently. A part of Jonah regrets having to defy his brother...whom, despite his very different outlooks on life and war, Jonah has always held in personal high regard.

The grand bell of the gate of Miguel Manor sounds, indicating the arrival of a visitor. While it is not at all unusual for Alex to receive visitors early in the morning, something inexplicable...a powerful presence draws Jonah's curiosities, and he opens a crack in the door of his bedroom to see his brother's visitor this morning.

Jonah catches a glimpse of the visitor and his heart seems to stop as he barely contains a scream.

 _It's_ her _!_

A young Asian girl, appearing to be Jonah's own age, with long, black silky hair styled in a modified Hime cut with long, uneven side swept bangs steps into the room. Her face is a delicate oval, with equally delicate features defined by a pair of wide, expressive eyes.

The girl is diminutive in size...standing about 154 cm tall and weighing perhaps 43 kg, but has the slender, athletic build of a model or film star, with long, shapely legs. She is clad in the Phobos Zeon Forces' female officers' uniform.

The girl salutes, "1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi reporting for duty, Lord Miguel."

Alexander steps forth to greet his guest, reaching out to caress the smooth cheeks of her face tenderly, "At ease. Good to see you as always, Kyoko."

"I have come with a field report on our combat exercises…" Kyoko begins.

"That can wait, Lieutenant Yamaguchi," Alexander says, his lips approaching hers, "a routine field report is not the reason I summoned you here this morning."

Their lips lock passionately.

Observing this through the crack of his bedroom door, Jonah struggles to suppress the powerful emotions coursing through him...jealousy, betrayal, confusion, hurt...but through it all, a sudden clarity, as he realizes…

 _Wait...that_ isn't _her! She looks similar, and also has a powerful aura around her, but this "Kyoko" isn't the girl I've been seeing in my dreams...she isn't Jolie. Her aura is different...just as powerful, but different._

The Miguels' butler, Roland, waits for Alexander and Kyoko to disengage from the kiss before informing Alexander that Captain Suberoa Zinnerman, the master of the space freighter _Garancieres_ , registered to Side 3 and having been docked at Phobos for the past two days while taking on a cargo of valuable silicates, has come to pay his respects to the Lord of Phobos before the ship is scheduled to leave port that evening at 20:00 local time.

"Lord Miguel," Captain Zinnerman, a swarthy, bearded bear of a man, bows deeply to the ruler of Phobos, "on behalf of all of my crew, I thank you for the hospitality you have shown to us.

"The honor is mine," Miguel replies elegantly, extending his hand to the other man as he continues, "as an officer of the Zeon forces, I am gratified to be able to assist a fellow Zeon officer."

Zinnerman chuckles modestly, "That was a long time ago, Lord Miguel. My time as an officer of the forces of great Zeon has passed. I am unable to keep up with young stalwarts such as you, my lord."

"Neither of us will be able to keep up with this young lady," Alexander amends, "Captain Zinnerman, please meet one of the key members of my forces, 1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi of the Phobos Mobile Suit Corps."

Captain Zinnerman takes Kyoko's delicate hand and kisses it in accordance with the etiquette of a long ago era that has taken on new life among the upper echelon of Zeon society.

"It is an honor, sir," Kyoko smiles demurely, "to meet a Zeon hero of the One Year War."

Zinnerman visually drinks in the beauty of the youthful, fresh-faced Kyoko before replying, "Lieutenant Yamaguchi is most impressive, Lord Miguel, as is your entire Phobos Zeon war machine. Undoubtedly, they will enable you to secure the entire Mars Sphere and beyond."

"You flatter me," Alexander replies graciously, "Captain, would you do me the honor of joining Lieutenant Yamaguchi and me for breakfast here at the manor this morning?"

Zinnerman bows again, "The honor is mine, Lord Miguel."

Alex turns to his domestic, "Roland, ask Jonah to join us for breakfast."

Roland replies, "My lord, I just returned from young Master Jonah's bedroom. He appears to have left the manor early this morning."

Alex nods, "No matter, then. I have a younger brother, Captain Zinnerman. He is of age to soon join the Phobos Zeon Forces."

Zinnerman smiles courteously, "Then along with Lieutenant Yamaguchi, he will be a further asset to your forces."

"So I hope," Alexander replies.

* * *

Outside the manor, Jonah lifts a tarp covering the backseat of the Sauropelta jeep that Captain Zinnerman drove from the spaceport to Miguel Manor.

Jonah lies flat on the floor of the jeep and covers himself with the tarp, hoping the oxygen will hold out.

* * *

"What's the situation like back at Munzo?" Alexander asks as he sips from a cup of coffee, using the old, pre-Zeon designation of Side 3.

"Everything you've read and heard is true," Captain Zinnerman confirms, around a forkful of eggs benedict, "the Earth Federation has turned Side 3 into an occupied war zone, with all that entails."

"It's heartbreaking and humiliating," Alexander concurs.

"Lord Miguel," Zinnerman probes, "if you can speak your mind openly: is it your intent to lead your troops into the Earth Sphere and retake Side 3 for Zeon?"

Alexander shakes head, "As much as I wish I could do more for our brethren in our ancestral homeland, I must first and foremost ensure the safety and wellbeing of my people here at Phobos. I see no benefit to provoking the Earth Federation."

"No benefit at all," Zinnerman agrees, wiping his mouth with a corner of his napkin, "if Zeon has a future, it would be out in the Outer Solar System, not back in the Earth Sphere."

"And yet, you are heading back to the Earth Sphere," Alexander observes, the irony bringing a killer smile to his countenance.

"It's my lot in life," Zinnerman answers with a sigh, "just as yours has cast you here in the cosmic hinterland."

Kyoko seems to take greater offense at this cutting remark than does its target. She rises, unwilling to tolerate such insolence towards her lord, not even from a One Year War hero.

Alexander restrains her with a simple, gentle gesture, unfazed by Zinnerman's sarcasm.

The Lord of Phobos offers the master of the _Garancieres_ his hand, "I wish you a safe journey back to the Earth Sphere, Captain Zinnerman."

Zinnerman takes Miguel's iron grip and replies, "May your dominion prosper."

* * *

Minutes later, Zinnerman boards his Sauropelta jeep and begins making his way from Miguel Manor to the Phobos Spaceport, where his freighter _Garancieres_ awaits.

As he pulls out from the Miguel estate, Zinnerman radios his crew, "Marida, Loni. I'm on my way back. Is the silicate ore properly loaded into the cargo bay?"

"Yes, and it's about time," the Arabian woman replies, "There are a good number of powerful Newtypes here and it's putting Marida on edge."

Suberoa chuckled at this, "You can let her know we'll be leaving soon, Loni."

"Will do, sir."

Zinnerman chuckles as he put the radio down and focused on driving.

Zinnerman's Sauropelta pulls into the hold of the _Garancieres_ just as the crew secures the final crates of Phobos silicate ore. After being transported to the Earth Sphere, the ore will undergo processing to convert it into fuel for myriad vehicles and devices.

Captain Zinnerman parks the vehicle and quickly makes his way to the bridge to oversee departure operations.

Ten minutes after he leaves, Jonah Miguel sneaks out from under the tarp. Having grown up at Phobos under his brother's watchful eye, Jonah has never been aboard a spacecraft such as the _Garancieres_ , and the cargo bay of the ship appears huge to his perspective.

 _More places I can hide_ , Jonah reasons, as he seeks a cubbyhole in which he can take shelter.

* * *

Captain Zinnerman takes his place in the captain's seat aboard the bridge of the _Garancieres_ as the ship's clock indicates precisely 20:00:00.

"Flaste," Zinnerman orders the helmsman, "bring the ship out of dock and set course for Frontier 8."

"Aye-aye, Skipper," comes the helmsman Flaste Schole's reply as he brings the ship out of the Phobos spaceport on a heading for the Frontier 8 colonies.

 _The Garancieres_ departs from the Port of Phobos without incident, _en rout_ to the Frontier 8 colonies.

From the viewport, Captain Zinnerman cannot help but notice the deployment of a strike-force sized contingent of the Phobos Armada...not quite escorting the _Garancieres_ , but oriented towards the same general heading, making double speed.

* * *

At the Earth Federation Forces' Officers' Academy at Side 7's Revil Base across the expanse between Mars orbit and the Earth Sphere, the cadets who have been earmarked for mobile suit combat pilot assignment are in a classroom session with instructor Captain Charles Kissingham, a veteran of the One Year War.

Kissingham, nicknamed "Uncle Charlie" by his Earth Federation Forces comrades-at-arms, is known to be a mobile suit ace pilot with the fourth highest kill count among the Federal Forces during the One Year War - behind only Tenneth A. Jung, Amuro Ray, and Lydo Wolf. With fifty-two Zeon mobile suit and two Zeon warship kills to his credit, "Uncle Charlie" has long felt that the Federation has never given him his due...still only a captain and assigned to cadet pilot instructor and test pilot roles despite nearly twenty years of dedicated service. Jung, Ray, and the late Wolf (who perished during the Battle of A Baoa Qu) went on to glory and, in the case of Jung and Ray, various degrees of financial reward. Charlie, on the other hand, continues to draw a standard, paltry bi-weekly paycheck for his rank and pay grade, and is deeply resentful of it. The pilot cadets to a man and woman know that Charlie thinks nothing of taking that resentment out on the trainees - concluding (and not incorrectly) that tormenting the new recruits is one of the few transient joys of Charlie's life.

"If you ask me, and even if you don't, I'm absolutely positive that you worthless snots are going to get yourselves killed out there," Captain Kissingham rails bitterly, in a standard rant that the pilot cadets have come to expect, "but mobile suits are expensive hardware, and if nothing else, I want to make sure that the Federation isn't throwing away more money than it already is training you turkeys."

In her seat, Athena ignores Uncle Charlie's acrid remarks as she takes notes on his salient points on the subtleties of mobile suit piloting. Athena agrees with the general assessment that in spite of his superficially impressive kill count during the One Year War, Charlie's talents as a mobile suit pilot are mediocre at best. Nevertheless, Charlie, if never quite as spectacularly talented as his record would suggest, is at least competent and experienced.

After a long-winded, but also crucially informative two-hour lecture, Charlie gives the cadets a shit-eating grin and finally says to them, "Test time, kiddies. Tomorrow, you're going to prove your mettle to show us if you've got what it takes to be special forces or whether I've always been right that not a single one of you is worth a dime of taxpayers' money. Ibaz!"

"Sir," Athena answers crisply.

"You're taking point on this training exercise," Charlie informs them all.

"The pressure's on…" Cadet Geoff Sutcliffe teases, drawing a kick in the shin from Cadet Karen Luna.

"What's your problem, island girl?" the Englishman Cadet Sutcliffe demands, rubbing his shin.

"Shut the fuck up and listen, Limey boy," Cadet Luna, a native of Earth's Hawaiian Islands retorts, eyes flashing.

"Here's your mission objective," Uncle Charlie tells the trainees, "Somewhere inside Limbo will be one of our comrades-at-arms, and he, she, it, whatever is POW...prisoner of war. Needless to say, the enemy isn't going to be so accommodating as to just let us walk in and get our guy or gal out. There are going to be multiple layers of defenses...multiple layers of traps that you'll need to penetrate going in and going out. Mission success will be determined by your ability to achieve the objective of getting the POW out safely and returning, with all personnel and combat mecha intact. Because this is a training exercise, the weapons on your mobile suits will not be using live ammunition or beam generators. Your ordnance will be SCG (that is Short Circuit Gel) or "Goop" cartridges. As I hope you all remember, if any part of your mobile suit comes into contact with the Goop, an electrified gel, that part will short circuit and shut down until the Goop is scrubbed off. Beam sabers have been replaced with electronic paralysis rods that work similarly to the Goop. Is all that understood?"

"Yes, sir," comes the collective reply.

Captain Kissingham drawls, "All right: we begin at 03:00, at Limbo."

* * *

With the early hour of the operation, "lights out" at the cadet barracks comes at the unusual hour of 19:00. At 21:08, however, Cadet Athena Ibaz is under the covers of her bedspace, poring over the screen of her tablet device.

Through some discreet and diligent searching through old government construction archives, Athena is able to locate the blueprints to "Limbo," originally named "Leucadia" and intended to be a luxurious "beachfront" colony of Side 7. Constructed during the mid to late UC 0070s and completed in UC 0077, two years before the outbreak of the One Year War, Leucadia Colony was never occupied due to a gross construction error that rendered the colony uninhabitable...its artificial "oceanside" and beach becoming a fetid swamp. Too costly to repair or dismantle, Leucadia became a dilemma for the Earth Federation Government until it was repurposed by the Earth Federation Forces as a state-of-the-art training facility for its troops, renamed "Limbo" as an appropriate descriptor for its perpetually semi-completed state.

Having scoured the archives, Athena finds a postmortem report on the failure of Leucadia Colony that yields useful, little-known information…

 _An abandoned accessway_ , Athena realizes, _originally intended to be one of dozens of access ports for loading and unloading cargo on the end of the colony opposite the primary spaceport, but rendered inoperative after a gross construction error. Consequently, passageway to main colony hold submerged under salt water and inaccessible._

Athena checks out the stats on the access hatch and passage way's dimensions, and notes that it can accommodate an Asshimar mobile suit...just barely.

Having acquired this information, Athena commits it to memory, switches off her tablet, and tries to catch a few hours of sleep.

* * *

At 02:00, Athena and her fellow cadets are aboard the EFFS _Penthesilea_ , an _Irish_ -class battle carrier under the command of Lt. Col. Christina MacKenzie. The team is in the ready room, as Athena discusses her plan with the other cadets.

"What I need you all to do is raise as much hell as you can at the spaceport entrance," Athena tells them, "and try to keep the action in the spaceport area."

"But the POW isn't likely to be anywhere near the spaceport," Cadet Tomo Higashi pipes up.

"That's right," Athena answers, "and for that reason, I want you guys to keep the colony defenses occupied there."

"Yeah, and what is Cadet Ibaz going to be doing while we do that?" Cadet Sutcliffe asks archly, "Doing her nails in some nice, safe corner far from the action?"

Ignoring Sutcliffe's sarcasm, Athena responds cryptically, "Taking the path of least resistance, though it promises to be salty and wet."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Cadet Horowitz wants to know.

"Essentially," Athena answers, "crawling into the house...in this case, Limbo, through the toilet. There's an abandoned access hatch on the other side of the colony that leads into the submerged sections of the hold. Nobody has used it because it's submerged below several million cubic liters of salt water and sludge."

The cadets murmur among themselves, some doubtful about the plan...others enthusiastic.

"I say you're going to drown," Sutcliffe sighs.

"I say she makes it," Cadet Hakeem Al-Said interjects resolutely, "and we're going to make sure of it."

"If I don't drown, you buy the drinks," Athena says challengingly to Sutcliffe.

"And if you do drown…?" Sutcliffe asks.

"Then have a drink in my memory," Athena replies.

So it is resolved.

* * *

Athena boards the cockpit of the NRX-044 Asshimar, in its saucer-shaped mobile armor configuration, on the MS deck of the _Penthesilea_ , dropping a midsized storage trunk behind the pilot's seat, where it will not obstruct cockpit functions or otherwise create any distraction or hazard.

Strapping herself in, Athena dons her MS pilot's combat helmet, seals her normal suit collar, and runs a diagnostic on the Asshimar's systems. She then performs a review of her teammates' mobile suits: Cadets Al-Said and Higashi in RGM-89 GM-IIIs, Cadets Luna and Sutcliffe in MSA-003 Nemos, and Cadet Horowitz in a MSA-003E EWAC Nemo.

Captain Charles Kissingham's voice comes through Athena's helmet receivers, "All units check in."

One by one, the units check in.

The electromagnetic catapult lifts Athena's Asshimar to the launch deck. Limbo looms large ahead in Athena's field of vision, its cylindrical mass filling her screen.

To her left, Captain Kissingham's Asshimar sits ready to launch on its parallel launcher. "Uncle Charlie" will be supervising the training operation, and intervening if necessary in the event of an unanticipated crisis.

"Captain Charles Kissingham. Asshimar-1 launching!"

The catapult pushes Uncle Charlie's Asshimar to the front of the launch deck, and the saucer-like transformable mobile armor launches into the cosmos.

"Cadet Athena Ibaz. Asshimar-2 launching!"

Athena's Asshimar similarly tears across the launch deck and into space. Behind her, the GM-IIIs and Nemos of her fellow cadets follow over the course of the next forty seconds. Per Athena's instructions, however, the EWAC Nemo piloted by Cadet Anna Horowitz does not follow the rest of the squad, but floats to the top of the command tower and perches itself in location above the bridge with the magnetized soles of its armored feet.

"Ma'am," reports one of the _Pentheselia_ 's bridge techs, "Cadet Horowitz's mobile suit…"

"Undoubtedly part of Cadet Ibaz's plan," Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie responds from the captain's seat on the bridge, "It's all right. I need to see how Ibaz and the others play this out."

* * *

Twenty kilometers out from the Limbo spaceport, Athena raises Cadet Anna Horowitz - specially trained in reconnaissance and communications, pilot of the EWAC Nemo, and Athena's barracks roommate - on the tactical net.

"Ibaz to Horowitz."

"Copy, Ibaz," comes Anna's terse reply from her mobile suit perched on top of the command tower of the _Pentheselia_.

"Run target ID scan," Athena says with calm authority.

Ten seconds later, Anna returns with the data, "Three Hizack Customs, twenty standard Hizacks...and a Marasai…and that's not all….you're looking down the gun barrels of a _Chivay_ -class heavy cruiser and four _Musai_ -class light cruisers. They're welcoming us like rock stars."

"Those cruisers can hit us from this range," Athena notes, "Take them out first, Anna."

"You're kidding, right?" comes Anna's reply.

"REPEAT THAT ORDER!" Athena replies in deadly earnest.

"'Take them out,' as ordered, Ibaz," Anna answers.

The EWAC Nemo goes down on one knee and levels its modified GM sniper rifle, usually armed with high velocity armor-piercing shells that, for training purposes, have been replaced with Goop cartridges, in the direction of the lead Chivay - targeting the suite of sensors and communications gear atop its command tower.

"Good night, Gracie," Anna whispers as she lines up the target in her gunsite.

Anna lets fly with three rounds from the sniper rifle, which covers the distance between the _Pentheselia_ in seconds and renders the lead _Chivay_ blind, deaf, and dumb.

"Hakeem, Tomo," Athena orders, "follow up strike."

"Copy that," comes their simultaneous response, and their GM-IIIs each fire three Goop missiles at the _Chivay_ , targeting the heavy cruiser's gunports and other weapons hardpoints.

The _Chivay_ lists, its bridge lights flickering out, and its weapons systems cold and silent.

The demise of their flagship draws counterfire from the rest of the enemy fleet, as the _Musais_ open fire to counterstrike.

In its mobile armor configuration, Athena's Asshimar fires its heavy rifle, the Minovsky generator swapped for Goop cartridges, in three rapid succession strikes that take out the gun decks of the first _Musai_.

"Here come their mobile suits!" Cadet Geoff Sutcliffe yells.

A green Hizack bears down on Sutcliffe's Nemo; the young Englishman levels his white-and-blue Nemo's rifle at the enemy mobile suit and fires a Goop cartridge into the Hizack's chest, disabling it.

A full on firefight soon swirls around as the cadets engage the enemy sentries.

"Going to extract the POW now," Athena informs the squad, "Keep the enemy tied up here. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, retreat and return to the command ship."

"Copy that," comes the collective reply.

Athena's Asshimar breaks away from the firefight and heads discreetly for the opposite terminus of the colony.

Hanging back in his own Asshimar, supervising the action, but not taking part, Captain Kissingham observes the action with almost a sense of _ennui_.

"Those punks are going to get themselves wrecked," he all but yawns.

* * *

Athena's Asshimar glides along the surface of Limbo, coming to a halt as it reaches the abandoned access hatch that Athena identified from her research as Auxiliary Port NH577.

The Asshimar transforms from saucer-shaped mobile armor into anthropomorphic mobile suit configuration. A set of large tools emerges from the forearm casing of the Asshimar, unscrewing and prying open the long inactive access hatch.

Liquid water comes gushing out of the hatch, only to immediately freeze in the vacuum of space.

The Asshimar forces its way through the rapidly gushing water and enters the colony, reconfiguring itself to mobile armor saucer as it enters the access way.

Visibility is horrible through the muck and darkness. Athena's eyes can see very little except murky water, but other senses guide her path.

The Asshimar continues its forward journey through the water...not designed specifically as an amphibious unit, it is nevertheless able to negotiate the water without trouble using its Minovsky particle-powered engine thrusters.

Finally, after several long minutes that feel like hours to Athena, the Asshimar surfaces. Positive visibility returns to the cockpit view screens, and Athena finds herself looking at the dim interior of the unoccupied space colony...a structure resembling an oil derrick looming about two clicks ahead of her.

Her target in sight, she immediately gets to work stripping off her pilot's normal suit to reveal a form fitting one piece, high-cut bathing suit that flatters her long, elegant legs and svelte hips.

Once free of the normal suit, Athena opens the trunk behind the seat of her Asshimar and pulls out a large, bulky civilian EVA normal suit that, though designed for use in space, is designed in a manner that it can reasonably mimic the function of a 19th century dive suit.

Before climbing into the EVA suit, Athena straps on a gun harness so she can carry her sidearm with her. Everything in place, Athena dons the EVA suit just before opening the hatch and jumping into the water.

Visibility is nonexistent below the surface, so Athena tries to keep her head above water as she swims through the stagnant, salty waters of Limbo to her destination.

One long, strenuous swim later, Athena climbs halfway out of the water using the ladder on one of the four support beams of the platform farthest from the command tower where the VIP is being kept. The EVA suit, having served its purpose, is carefully discarded and left to sink into the depths of the murky waters.

Athena's bare feet step silently onto the deck of one of the lower sections of the first platform. Spotting anthropomorphic robotic sentries nearby, she slips into a crouch behind a stack of crates and extracts her Marakov, silently ascending a flight of stairs to see that the first platform is extremely open with little cover available.

Six sentry bots stand on the Platform: three on vantage points, three patrolling the platform, so Athena knows that she must distract them. The AI of these sentries is fairly simplistic and easy to distract, so all she needs is...

Athena notices a crane on the far end of the platform - quite dilapidated. Athena figures the cable holding the crane hook up can snap at any second… or be encouraged to snap with just a little bit of effort.

The duchess-turned-cadet attaches a suppressor to the barrel of her handgun and takes expert aim at the cable swaying gently back and forth in the colony's artificial wind.

Athena's elegant, refined fingers squeeze off a remarkably well-placed round that snaps the cable, causing the 200 pound iron hook to crash onto the deck with a resounding "GONNNGG!" sound that draws the attention of the sentry robots.

Seeing that her mechanical adversaries are occupied with the fallen iron hook, Athena rises from her crouching position and steals past them, unnoticed.

Moving to the second platform, Athena again takes cover. Grabbing an iron pipe that conveniently lies nearby, she hurls the pipe in the direction opposite to the larger platform where she believes the POW is housed.

The loud "KLANG" of the pipe landing on the opposite side of the platform draws the attention of the second patrol squad or sentry bots as it did the first, and again Athena takes advantage of their distraction to slip past them.

 _These robots are seriously stupid_ , Athena muses, _human guards would be more difficult to deal with_.

On the third platform, Athena finds a water boiler unit, set to keep water heated to 80 degrees Celsius. Athena finds the temperature control switch, and sets it for the maximum temperature of 100 degrees celsius.

Having thus manipulated the boiler, Athena quietly slips away and crouches down nearby to wait for the water to boil.

Ninety seconds later, the boiler begins whistle...loudly.

"Coffee and tea are served, gentlemen," Athena whispers to herself.

The bots converge around the boiler, evidently confused and momentarily paralyzed. Athena suppresses an urge to laugh at them before she turns to proceed to the next platform...and finds a robotic sentry looming directly over her!

With speed, precision, and not a hint of panic, Athena places the suppressor-covered muzzle of her Marakov sidearm against the sentry's head unit and pulls the trigger once, scattering electronic sensors and microchips as the sentry collapses backwards.

Athena catches the collapsing sentry and sets it gently upon the deck, stripping the robot of its weapon and strapping it over her shoulder as a backup.

Athena turns towards the fourth and final platform...where the POW is housed. This platform more heavily fortified than the first three, with twice the number of sentry robots.

Athena ascends the staircase leading to the upper levels of the final platform, its iron surface cold underneath her bare feet.

She spots four sentry robots… each maintaining an equal distance from the others as they patrol the first floor of the final platform. Noticing the counterclockwise pattern of their circular patrol path, Athena estimates that she will have a five-second window of opportunity where all four bots will have their backs turned to her as they change position to return towards the staircase, and that window will open in….about seventeen seconds.

Seventeen seconds pass with agonizing tension, and then, Athena slips catlike across the platform with hardly a microsecond to spare. She glides up the stairs as the four sentry robots turn.

The next level is guarded by only three robots, but their triangular patrol pattern is tighter than that of four robots Athena left on the level below. This time, her window of opportunity to cross undetected is four seconds...barely. Athena figures it's closer to 3.8 seconds.

 _Just like playing hide-and-seek with the palace ladies back in the day_ , Athena smirks quietly.

Seeing her opportunity, Athena slips past the robots in the barely four seconds she has to make the crossing, foregoing the final step and diving forward, landing gently to hide behind the staircase where the sentries are unable to see her.

Athena stealthily ascends the two remaining flights of stairs. From her vantage point, she looks up and spots one more sentry...this one planted directly in front of the door to a cubicle constructed into the platform's original design and where the POW is undoubtedly housed. This sentry cannot be distracted away; she will need to eliminate it.

Drawing her weapon, Athena charges the final robot sentry, her finely trained and Newtype-attuned movements much faster and more agile than the ponderous security robot; she neutralizes it with a single shot to its central processor.

As it collapses in Athena's arms, the dying sentry robot drops an object...a key card embedded into a thin horizontal slot approximating where a mouth would be on a human face.

Athena picks up the key card and uses it to open the door to the cubicle

Athena enters stealthily, and spots a man dressed a familiar-looking man dressed in a long black leather duster, blue jeans, a black tank top, and combat boots. The man is consuming a meal of steak and lobster, a glass of iced sweet tea at his fingertips… She immediately recognizes him as Captain Ryusuke Kenta.

Kenta looks up from his meal momentarily, giving Athena an appraising glare, and then smiling as he returns to his steak, "Why is it that every time I run into you, Ibaz, you're half naked?"

Athena holds her weapon skyward as she replies, "Maybe I'm an exhibitionist. Hate to interrupt your meal, Captain, but it's time to go. We have fewer than twenty minutes to make it back to the rendezvous point."

"That means they haven't taught you to finish everything on your plate in a minute flat."

So saying, Kenta rapidly devours the remains of his meal; what, under less urgent circumstances, would be consumed over the course of ten or twenty minutes disappears within forty seconds.

"Disgusting," Athena remarks as she tosses to Kenta the weapon she acquired from the sentry on the lower deck.

Kenta catches the weapon, "It's not like you don't know we occasionally do that when we need to leave the scene pronto."

"Still," Athena remarks as she peers out the window and spots the sentries, which have finally discovered that two of their number have stopped operating and are coming to investigate, "those blockhead bots have finally figured it out. We're going to shoot our way out."

"Ladies first," Kenta bows and indicates the way gallantly.

Athena and Kenta take defensive positions and discreetly shoot out from the doorway. Athena blasts away a pair of sentries with two well-placed shots while Kenta downs two more with his weapon. Even so, that leaves more than a dozen opposing bots in their path.

"We can down these machines easily," Kenta says.

"But not quickly enough," Athena answers, pulling out a tiny device, "we've got a rendezvous to meet in fifteen minutes."

Athena uses the handheld device to summon her Asshimar, which emerges from the water, quickly covers the distance to their location, transforms from mobile armor to mobile suit configuration, and sweeps the sentry bots off the platform and into the water with its massive hands.

Athena and Kenta quickly board the Asshimar. Once aboard the cockpit, they don mobile suit pilot normal suits and helmets.

Athena takes the pilot seat, "Cadet Ibaz to Captain Kissingham. Our man is secure."

"Then get your pretty ass back here, Ibaz," Uncle Charlie replies, "You don't make it back in ten minutes, you fail this test."

"Roger, sir," Athena replies, preparing to hit the afterburners on the Asshimar. Before she can, however, a red mobile suit...RMS-108 Marasai, streaks into her path.

 _It's him...but...it can't be!_

The Marasai kicks out at the Asshimar with its powerful left leg, a signature Red Comet move.

Athena blocks the incoming kick with the Asshimar's forearm.

"Relax, Ibaz," Kenta drawls calmly, "This is an AI simulation of the Red Comet based on what we know of his fighting style and tactics, which is a lot, to be honest."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," Athena answers bitterly as she narrowly dodges another attack.

"My point is that there's a pattern," the retired Captain tells the cadet reassuringly, "Find it and you can win."

 _Colonel Char always favored blitz tactics_ , Athena remembers, _to keep the opponent disoriented and unable to mount a counterattack. He wasn't a particularly accomplished grappler and brawler, though…_

Once again, the "Char" Marasai approaches like a red comet, its leg extended to punish the Asshimar once again.

Then, at the precise moment, Athena attempts something that not Amuro Ray nor any of Char's other opponents ever attempted.

The Asshimar reaches out and grabs the Marasai's extended leg, holding it in a death grip.

Kenta watches the struggle unfold, arms folded across his chest, completely unconcerned by the potential threat to both his and Cadet Ibaz's safety.

"You...aren't him," Athena snarls, more to herself than anyone else, "You're just a damn machine!"

 _You hate me, don't you…?_ Words and images from nine years past come unbidden into Athena's mind.

Shaking, with tears streaming that she hopes that Kenta doesn't see, Athena lets out a feral scream as she pulls the lever that causes the Asshimar to pull out its electron rod (in place of its usual beam saber) and bring it crashing down on the Marasai's leg, immobilizing it.

The Marasai responds by pulling out its own electron rod and slashing it at Athena's Asshimar. Athena parries...the two rods' magnetic polarities causing them to repel each other upon contact.

The Marasai presses the attack, forcing Athena on the defensive.

In the cockpit of the Asshimar, Athena feels uncertainty creeping up her spine as the Marasai relentlessly continues its aggressive assault.

Taking a page out of her opponent's own playbook, Athena maneuvers the Asshimar close in to the Marasai, rendering it unable to use its electron rod effectively. She then uses the surprise maneuver of bringing the Asshimar's knee forward to crush the Marasai's head/camera unit.

Dissatisfied, Athena lifts the electron rod up high and swings it down on the crown of the Marasai's head, smashing it.

"That's enough, Ibaz," Kenta says, "I'm sure you'd enjoy beating Reddy here like a pinata all day, but you have a rendezvous to make."

Without bothering to acknowledge Kenta's remark, Athena transforms the Asshimar into mobile armor mode and blasts off in the direction of her group.

* * *

At the same moment, Athena's squadmates are making gains against the opposing units, having taken down the bulk of the standard Hizacks. The three Hizack Customs, however, prove a greater challenge, coordinating themselves into…

"Jet Stream Attack!" Cadet Horowitz identifies.

The young mobile suit pilots brace themselves against the notorious attack formation first used by the Black Tristars of the Archduchy of Zeon Forces during the One Year War. The formation created havoc and terrified Earth Federation Forces' mobile suit pilots until it was broken by 2Lt. Amuro Ray and his RX-78 Gundam in the forests near Odessa.

"Bloody hell, they're fast!" Cadet Sutcliffe complains as three of his shots miss the mark.

Sutcliffe is nearly blasted by Goop as the first, second, and third Hizack Customs attack him in turn. Only a timely nudge by his teammate Cadet Karyn Luna pushes his Nemo out of the way to avoid mechanized paralysis.

But the trio of Hizack Customs comes at them again before the Nemos can regroup. The quick and confusing movements of the Jet Stream Attack leaves the novices flat-footed and flustered.

An unexpected blast of Goop from up high drops the lead Hizack Custom; the cadets let out a cheer as Cadet Athena Ibaz's Asshimar streaks past them in mobile armor mode.

"Al-Said! Higashi! Finish them!" Athena orders.

Reacting instantaneously, the GM-IIIs piloted by Cadets Al-Said and Higashi disgorge a half dozen Goop missiles that converge upon the Hizack Customs and send them tumbling backwards.

The cadets exult as their mission is accomplished.

"All right," Captain Kissingham announces as he transmits the signal for the remaining test mobile suits to shut down, "It's over, but it isn't. You still need to retur….ARRGH!"

A sudden explosion that seems to originate from Captain Kissingham's Asshimar sends the veteran mobile suit pilot's unit careening dangerously out of control, on a collision course with the Limbo Colony!

For an instant, everyone is dumbfounded, and then Athena issues the command, "All of you...back to the _Pentheselia_ , NOW!"

"But Athena…" one of the cadets begins to protest.

"NOW!" Athena repeats as her mobile armor takes off after its stricken companion.

"Will Lt. Col. Mackenzie mind your being home late?" Athena asks Kenta.

"If she does," Kenta answers, "I'll blame it on you."

"Fair enough," Athena answers as she shadows Uncle Charlie's adrift Asshimar.

 _Damn it_ , Captain Kissingham thinks as he struggles to regain control of his mobile suit, _that blast took out all my stabilizers and flight control systems. Can't get control back!_

And precisely what had happened? Kissingham detected no incoming bogies or shots...nor did the explosion deliver impact consistent with taking a hit. He had just given the signal to shut down the remaining test mobile suits. It almost seemed as if the Asshimar's shell exploded of its own accord...except that's impossible.

The mass of Limbo Colony looms before Uncle Charlie's out-of-control Asshimar.

 _Well, Charlie ol' boy, this is it…this is how it ends…_

A second Asshimar appears in Kissingham's viewscreens, approaching fast.

"Cadet Ibaz," Charlie orders, "Rejoin your squad and get your mobile suit back to Revil Base!"

"No, sir," Athena replies commonly.

Kissingham's eyes are filled with rage as he sputters, "Are you refusing my order, Cadet?!"

"Yes, sir," Athena replies, "My apologies, sir."

"Ibaz, get the HELL out of here, do you copy?!" Kissingham shouts.

Without acknowledging, Athena aligns her Asshimar with Kissingham's matching direction and speed...the two mobile armors practically glide upon each other, the mass of Limbo Colony growing larger by the second.

"Ibaz…!" comes Charlie's anger-choked voice.

Athena ignores it, gauging distance and speed, attempting to align the two mobile armors.

Athena magnetizes the hull of her Asshimar to that of Charlie's. The two mobile armors, thus mated, appear to the eye as a massive, armored, meatless hamburger.

"Thruster capacity at 140%," announces the combat computer of Athena's AI, "Unit will reach critical levels in two minutes, thirty-six seconds if thruster continues to operate at this capacity."

The paired Asshimars begin to lift away from Limbo Colony, but not quickly…

Athena directs the two units in the direction of the _Pentheselia_.

"Cadet Ibaz to _Pentheselia_ deck crew! We've got a damaged unit here. Open the hatch and stand by for an emergency crash landing!"

Emergency crews rush to the MS launch deck of the _Pentheselia_ , foaming down the deck. The airlock hatch opens.

The twinned Asshimars make a controlled crash landing on the MS deck...slipping, sliding, and spinning before mercifully coming to a halt before crashing through the bulkhead.

The emergency crews cover both Asshimars in fire-retardant foam, a trenchant precaution that ultimately proves unnecessary as the landing, rough as it is, kindles no fire on the deck.

As the shock of impact passes and a silence falls, Athena turns to Kenta, who looks as unimpressed as if he had just finished the slowest, dullest ride in the countryside and asks, "You think Captain Kissingham will be upset that I disobeyed his orders?"

"Don't much know, don't much care," Kenta replies casually.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Ryusuke and Christina meet in the captain's office with General Bright Noa, who pays a rare and unannounced personal visit to the _Pentheselia_. The two senior officers give the general their report on the cadets' performances, particularly that of Athena Ibaz.

"By the sounds of it, Cadet Ibaz is a natural born leader," General Noa surmises, "Though I am curious about the malfunction in Captain Kissingham's Asshimar."

"That was my doing," the retired captain replies, "I was testing her."

Mackenzie's brow raises in curiosity as she asks, "For what exactly?"

"The majority of the war crimes committed during the One Year War were done under someone's orders," Kenta reflects soberly, "I wanted to see what kind of person she is… where her head and heart are."

"I'm assuming she passed the test," Bright affirms more than asks.

"With flying colors," Kenta replies through tight lips.

* * *

Captain Charles Kissingham and Cadet Athena Ibaz emerge from their NRX-044 Asshimars on the MS launch deck of Revil Base at Side 7. Medical Corps personnel rush towards them as MS Engineering and Maintenance Corps crews begin to assess the damage to the Asshimars, but Uncle Charlie waves away the medics as he tears angrily into Athena.

"Goddamn it, Ibaz!" Charlie rails, "I gave you a direct order to leave me and return to the rendezvous point with the rest of the team!"

"Yes, sir," Athena responds contritely, but firmly.

"A soldier who is insubordinate is worse than useless, do you understand that, Ibaz?!" Charlie continues.

"Yes, sir," Athena replies, her expression unreadable.

"THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU DISOBEY ORDERS, IBAZ?!" Charlie finally explodes, throwing his helmet to the deck with a loud _CLANG_!

Athena's answer comes in a calm, measured tone, "Sir, because we don't leave our comrades-at-arms in peril. Ever."

Captain Kissingham's eyes flash angrily as he brings his open right hand down across Athena's left cheek. The young woman hardly flinches, even though the force of the strike is sufficient to draw blood from the corner of her lip.

Uncle Charlie raises his hand for more punishment, but finds his wrist caught in the stronger grip of Captain Ryusuke Kenta, Lt. Col. Christina MacKenzie at his side.

"That's enough, Captain," Lt. Col. MacKenzie says to Kissingham authoritatively.

"You…!" Charlie sputters at Athena.

"Should there ever be a next time, Captain Kissingham, I will let Kenta have some alone time with you," Christina warns Charlie.

"Lt. Col. MacKenzie," Kissingham retorts as Kenta releases his hand, "this punk ass little bitch…!"

"...saved your ass," Lt. Col. MacKenzie finishes for him, "...and First Lieutenant Ibaz was right. We all took an oath to never abandon our comrades under any circumstance, Captain. You know that."

Athena turns to glance at Christina, who smiles at her, "Yes, you heard correctly, First Lieutenant Ibaz."

"You have to be kidding me," Uncle Charlie mutters disgustedly.

Kenta answers, "Nobody is kidding you. Your Asshimar's malfunction was no coincidence. I rigged a small bomb to detonate inside the suit at a location that would damage the flight controls without compromising structural integrity of the suit. This was my test: I wanted to see how Lieutenant Ibaz would react in that situation, and she fucking aced my test."

"You sonofabitch!" Charlie snarls, about to charge at Kenta until the other man's icy stare freezes him in place.

Charlie throws a dirty glare back at all of them as he stalks away to the pilots' locker room, cursing under his breath.

"First Lieutenant Ibaz," Christina says.

Athena snaps smartly to attention, "Yes, ma'am."

"Report at 05:00 tomorrow morning to your new commanding officer, Captain Rick Tinne of the Centurion Special Operations Team."

"In the meantime, why don't you come stay the night with us," Ryusuke offers, "It'll give us a chance to become more acquainted since you'll be serving on my girlfriend's ship, and I'll bet you would enjoy a home cooked meal for once."

"If it's all right with Lt. Col. Mackenzie," Athena replies after some thought.

Christina smiles and answers, "I see no problems… I'm actually surprised he invited you over since he's kind of antisocial."

* * *

Upon arrival at the apartment shared by the two Gundam pilots, Athena notes it to be a small, if not quaint living space. Two bedrooms, one full bathroom and a half bath. The kitchen and dining room is practically the same room due to their proximity. This allows for a sizable living room, with plenty of space and a couch…where someone is already seated.

The man stands to face them - a handsome young man in his late twenties or maybe early thirties, wearing an expensive Italian suit that bespeaks importance and elevated social status. His black hair is neatly cropped, and his frame wiry visible beneath his suit.

"Sorry to drop in unannounced Chris," he says as he nervously rubs the back of his head, suddenly more boyish than his years, "but I got in earlier today and you guys did give me a key."

Christina immediately approaches and hugs the man with sisterly affection while saying, "You're always welcome here, Al, although you might be sleeping on the couch tonight since you're an uninvited guest."

"I can live with that," he replies before extending his hand to the invited guest and introducing himself, "I'm Alfred Izuruha. Chris and I were neighbors at Libot Colony when we were kids."

"1st Lieutenant Athena Ibaz," she replies pleasantly as she takes his hand and shakes it, "You're the Ambassador from the Riah Republic, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me," Alfred replies somewhat absently as he turns to his surrogate sister's boyfriend and says, "Up for a round of _Mobile Suit Fighters_?"

"Only if you're ready to lose," the retired captain replies with a smirk.

Athena whispers confidentially to Christina as the red-haired lieutenant colonel pours her a drink, "This Alfred is like a big kid, isn't he?"

Christina smiles, "You don't know the half of it."

Al picks Christina as his game avatar, as he enjoys playing as his surrogate sister, and soon discovers she has a new mech. "Whoa, since when did you have a Zeta Plus, Chris?"

"Same time as me," Ryusuke interjects as he picks himself as his own avatar, "We did a mission recently and were given a couple of Zeta Plus' and I decided to cash in on it and get it put into the latest update."

Athena sips from her flute of champagne, a good brut natural from California grapes, and remarks, "I'd heard that the video game industry had started using the wars as source material, but hadn't seen any such games until now."

"It's been going on for centuries," Christina answers, sipping from her own flute of champagne, "since the 20th Century, when video games were new. Even war is a commodity that can be sold for profit."

Athena nods in agreement, "And every good business person knows the advantage of attracting clientele while they're young."

"It also helps that we're utterly and hopelessly fascinated by it all," Al adds as he struggles to keep pace with his opponent.

Christina rises from her seat at the wet bar, saying, "Well, I should get started on dinner."

"Why don't I buy us some take out," Al offers instead, "It's the least I can do for showing up uninvited like this."

"OK," the Red Head replies as she grabs the phone, "What do you want?"

"General Tso's Chicken," Kenta replies as he finishes the match, "No broccoli."

"Sweet and sour pork for me," Alfred decides before turning to Ryusuke and asking, "Wanna go again?"

"Sure," he answers with a shrug.

Mackenzie then brings out a menu from the Dragon and Phoenix Restaurant and says, "They have a location here in Green Oasis, so it helps to have the complete menu."

Athena studies the menu for a minute before coming across a dish called "laab," a Thai salad that sounds pretty good.

"I'll have…" Athena trails off as she realizes she's not entirely sure how to pronounce it, so she points at it. The poor girl fails to notice the sly smirk that appears on Christina's face for a brief moment.

Everyone's orders decided, Chris dials the number. "Hey, I'm ordering take out. I want General Tso's Chicken, no broccoli. Sweet and sour pork. Sushi with a side of egg rolls. And last I want an order of laab…the 'Skoo Special'… 1372, Revil St. All right, thank you."

"What's the 'Skoo Special,'" Athena asks now that Christina is off the phone.

"Oh, nothing to worry about."

Somehow, the cheerful response fails to alleviate Athena's feeling of disquiet.

A knock at the door about 20 minutes later prompts Al to rise and answer the door while Christina gets to work setting the table. The ambassador pays the tab, leaving the delivery boy a generous tip, and brings the food to the table. He then proceeds to put everyone's meal at their places at the table.

Kenta takes one of the sets of chopsticks provided and breaks them apart before getting them set in place with a flourish.

"Showing off your Japanese heritage again," Mackenzie gently and playfully chides her lover.

Ryusuke shrugs his shoulders and says, "It's not even intentional… just muscle memory kicking in at this point."

Everyone begins eating his or her meal… though Athena hesitates for, poking at the laab salad for a moment. After the first, tentative bite, her concerns fade…until the fourth bite that she realizes that her mouth is on fire.

Keeping her calm, dignified demeanor only through the application of superhuman willpower, Athena immediately chugs the glass of water in front of her and a second that Christina pours her.

"Is napalm one of the ingredients in laab?" Athena manages to choke out.

"Laab is a Thai dish," Kenta explains, "and Thai food is notorious for being spicy."

"It's the specialty of our friend, Faith Koo," Christina further explains, "you know: the commanding officer of the Raptor Team? Friends call her 'Skoo.'"

"Skoo loves spicy Thai food," Kenta adds, "but the way she likes it is spicier than how the average person eats it, so the Dragon and Phoenix Restaurant here has made it so you can order the amount of peppers she'd have by saying, 'Skoo Special' and they'll know how much to use….which is a motherlode!"

Athena is indeed acquainted with Captain Faith "Skoo" Koo, one of the most decorated and respected veteran Federation combat pilots from the One Year War. Athena is familiar with Skoo's combat record, but less so with her proclivity to torture colleagues with her spicy cuisine.

"It's actually a rite of passage for all new members of the Londo Bell Special Forces," Kenzie states, "The day after graduation, we take the new recruits to the Dragon and Phoenix Restaurant and have them eat a meal that has the Skoo Special as an option."

"Laab is just one of the dishes that are easier to handle," Kenta says, finishing the explanation, "You lucked out, Ibaz."

Athena silently nods as she determines in her heart and mind that she'd finish the meal without drinking a single drop of anything.

After dinner, the boys continue their game of _Mobile Suit Fighter_ , and even Athena and Chris go a couple of rounds. Before too long, the clock in the living room strikes 10:00 pm.

"Time we got to bed," Ryusuke said as he rises and heads to the bedroom he shared with Christina.

"I'll help you get situated in the guest room Lt. Ibaz," Mackenzie offers.

Athena follows along, carrying a small valise that contains her few belongings.

"I trust you can take things from here," the redhead says more than asks before leaving.

Once alone inside the guest bedroom, Athena pulls from her valise a silk nightgown she received as a gift from her adopted sister Artasia some years ago. It was too big for her at the time, but Dr. Deikun didn't know her measurements. It worked out in the end because Athena has come to love this gown…dyed a color called Pale Blue Moon.

Athena tucks herself in and soon drifts off into the realm of dreams… and nightmares.

* * *

 _Little Duchess Mineva is crouched over a small bunch of flowers growing inside Axis when she turns and sees Colonel Char Aznable approaching._

" _Colonel Char," she cries out joyfully as she runs up to embrace him, only to find a Marakov handgun pointed at her._

" _Colonel Char?" she asks fearfully._

" _Don't take it personally Mineva. Were things different, we could have been friends. If anyone, blame your grandfather."_

 _ **BANG!**_

* * *

"COLONEL CHAR, NO!" Athena screams as she suddenly bolts awake.

She buries her face in her hands, hyperventilating, trying to shake the fear from her heart.

"How did you know Char?"

Athena freezes when she hears Ryusuke's voice. She slowly turns her gaze towards the door, where she spies both Lt. Col. Mackenzie and Kenta standing.

Kenzie is visibly concerned for the young Lieutenant, but her boyfriend's cold gaze is enough to turn Athena's blood to ice in her veins.

"Come into the dining room," he orders, "And don't worry about Al…kid could sleep through an atomic bomb going off."

They step into the dining room as Kenta instructed. Kenta opens the cupboard and pulls out a bottle of Devil's Brandy and three goblets. Devil's Brandy...Kenta's custom brand, on the expensive side of affordable.

"This is from the first successful batch I made back in 0080," Ryusuke says as he pours them each a glass, "I got into making all kinds of alcoholic beverages… I brew the famous Demon Lager, Beelzebub Stout, and Abbadon Whiskey… but the Devil's Brandy was where it all started… I got four other bottles from the same batch as this one. Occasionally, I put one of them up for auction. It's good for what ails you. Great tonic for nightmares."

Athena quietly sips at the drink, saying nothing… the less she says, the better.

"I thought it strange when Jack asked me to keep an eye on you on back '93… I knew right away that you were connected to Char… but looking at you now… I think I finally figured out who you are… Duchess Mineva."

The fear that Christina is picking up through her empathy tells her that Ryusuke had hit the nail dead on.

"What are your intentions?" Kenta demands.

"To atone for my heritage," Athena replies frankly.

"Mind explaining that, Your Majesty?" Kenta asks.

"My family is responsible for the worst episode of bloodshed in human history," Athena answers, "do you know what living with that burden of guilt is like?"

"I have a better idea than you might think," Kenta responds.

"I feel a moral obligation to undo the damage that my family did," Athena continues, "if that's even possible, but the greatest threat to humanity now isn't the Zabi Family. I'm the last of them, and I have no intention of following in their footsteps. The threat now lies in the other pockets of Zeon power in the Outer Solar System, and right here in the Earth Federation."

"I won't deny that," Kenta replies calmly, "just as long as you don't start another Zeon Crusade, as Jack would put it."

"The most important reason that I decided to join the Earth Federation Special Forces was to help eliminate the threat posed by the remaining militant Zeon movements," Athena says.

"Just make sure you don't get trigger happy about it."

"But there's something I want to know," Athena says, rising, her boldness returning.

"Say it, Ibaz," Kenta answers directly.

Athena asks, "That night in St. Moritz, in the jail cell…"

"What about it?"

"That was you that night, wasn't it, Kenta?" Athena presses, "Though you weren't quite...I don't know how to put it."

"You know… in ancient times, it was believed that a man consumed by grief could end up becoming a demon should that grief turn to rage. Operation British caused me a great deal of pain…that grief ended up becoming rage, and that rage is what made me a demon… what you saw that night… that's the Demon I usually keep locked away. If guilt is your trip, Ibaz, then grief is mine."

"I think I understand," Athena whispers, "I'm….sorry."

"Why? You didn't cause any of it… you were a newborn baby in your mother's arms when this started."

"It was still people from my heri..." Athena begins.

"Stop right there," Christina interjects, speaking for the first time, "The sins of the Father should not fall upon the son."

"Or in this case, the uncle upon the niece," Ryusuke jokingly adds.

Despite Kenta and Kenzie's reassurances, Athena unconsciously pulls a few sheets of tissue paper from a nearby box and begins wiping her fingers with them intensely...as if they were stained with blood: a habit that she has not been able to shake since childhood and one that besets her in moments of great stress.

 _Out, damned spot_ , Athena remembers wryly from her middle school reading of _Macbeth_.

"Kid," Kenta says wearily, pouring her another glass of Devil's Brandy, "we all have demons...except maybe for her," as he indicates Mackenzie with a nod of his head.

"You just don't see mine," Christina smiles.

"Try to go back to sleep," Kenta finishes, "We all have a big day tomorrow, what with cadet graduations in the morning and the testing of the RX-780 prototype in the afternoon. Your secret is safe with us."

* * *

Late in the evening of that same day, the same Captain Rick Tinne, commanding officer of the Centurion Team, meets with Admiral Manron Blackhead and Colonel Peter Cairlay. Their meeting, taking place in Blackhead's office on the top floor of Wakkein Tower at Revil Base, many hours after the staff has departed for the day, is conducted off the record, a necessity considering the subject of their discussion.

"So I've been assigned to command this crew of kids," Captain Tinne clicks through the electronic dossier, reviewing the files of the young academy graduates who have been assigned to his command, "I admit that they've got talent, but still...they're just kids. Not a single one of them over the age of 18."

Colonel Cairlay interjects, "Nevertheless, they are valuable personnel assets, particularly that First Lieutenant Athena Ibaz."

"She's going to be my junior officer?" Tinne says, admiring Athena's photo, "Hot piece of ass, I must say. Really pretty girl, though young enough to be my daughter."

Admiral Blackhead, blowing dark smoke from his expensive cigar, says, "Tinne, the reason we're here tonight is not just to discuss your new recruits."

"I know, sir," Tinne replies, "There's also the matter of that new mobile suit prototype...the RX-780. I understand it's going to be assigned to a pilot on my team."

Blackhead and Cairlay exchange a meaningful glance before the admiral clears his throat and responds, "Not exactly, Tinne."

Tinne stiffens in surprise as Blackhead continues, "Tinne, tell me honestly: are you happy with what the Federation Forces pay you?"

Tinne answers, "If I may speak frankly, sir, no...not considering the challenges of the job."

Blackhead nods, "What if I were to tell you that there's an opportunity for you to retire a wealthy man?"

"Sir?" Tinne asks probingly.

"A certain friendly, deep-pocketed party is offering a substantial sum for the Gundam-100 prototype," Admiral Blackhead says between puffs of cigar smoke, "and likely would make better use of it than we would at this point. Most members of the Defense Committee would likely disagree, but who cares what those bureaucrats think? They don't have enough brain material among them to fill a lemur's skull."

"I'm prepared to carry out any orders you see fit, Admiral," Tinne replies measuredly.

"And you'll be rewarded handsomely for it," the admiral says, "Does one million Federation credits sound good to you, Tinne?"

"It sounds very good, sir," Tinne answers, "It's more than I would make in ten careers as a Special Forces officer."

"Excellent," Blackhead smiles, "The Gundam-100 will be undergoing combat tests three days from now. The designated test pilot is Captain Charles Kissingham. I believe you know him."

"Captain Kissingham and I go back a long way," Tinne nods, "We're not exactly the closest of friends, but we have a working acquaintance going all the way back to the One Year War."

"What else do you know about Kissingham?" Blackhead asks.

"I know that even more than I, he isn't too happy with his job," Tinne replies.

"Tell him there's an offer for him," Blackhead says, steepling his hands, "One that will pay him two million Federation credits if he agrees to it. Be discreet, Captain: if anyone were to discover what we're planning, we'll all be facing a firing squad."

"Understood, sir," Tinne salutes.

* * *

An hour later, Captain Charles Kissingham sits alone at the bar at the Andromeda Nightclub in Green Noa City, nursing a shot of whisky and a cigarette, attempting to drink and smoke away the bitterness.

"That cocky Ibaz bitch," Kissingham mutters under his breath, "and that damned MacKenzie and Kenta...I'll show them all what happens when you mess with Uncle Charlie."

Charlie throws back another whisky as Captain Rick Tinne enters the nightclub and takes a seat next to him.

"Yo, Charlie," Tinne greets the other veteran, "Tough day?"

"Yeah, you can say that," Charlie answers, ordering a drink for Tinne, "'Sup with you, Tinne?"

"Meeting my new junior officer in the morning," Tinne replies, lighting Charlie's cigarette and then his own, "1Lt. Athena Ibaz."

"That BITCH!" Charlie rails, throwing his shot glass across the bar.

"You seem to have a problem with the girl," Tinne says.

"She's a pain in the ass," Charlie replies as the bartender brings him another drink, "but she's _your_ pain the ass now, Tinne. Wish you luck."

Tinne says, "You know, there is a way out...for you and me."

"What do you mean?" Charlie slurs, sipping his drink.

"Out of this dead-end, underpaying job where we risk our hides for the devil knows what," Tinne answers, sipping his own shot of whisky.

"I'm listening," Charlie says.

Tinne leans forward to whisper cryptic words into Charlie's ear. Kissingham listens with intense interest.

* * *

June 20, UC 0098 would one day prove to historians to be a historic day in the history of the Earth Sphere, though none involved would have had an inkling of its significance on the day itself. All that anyone in the Earth Federation Forces stationed at Revil Base at Side 7 knew was that the day promised to be a busy one...with a new class of officers (including Special Forces) graduating in the morning and a new mobile weapon being tested to an audience of high-level Federation military and civilian officials in the afternoon.

At 09:00, Colonel Peter Cairlay, Director of Special Forces, congratulates the newly commissioned young officers. The loudest applaud is heard for "1Lt. Athena Ibaz," assigned as the junior officer of the newly organized Centurion Special Operations Team, commanded by veteran officer Captain Rick Tinne.

By 10:30, the graduation ceremonies are completed, and the newly commissioned officers report for duty.

"1Lt. Athena Ibaz reporting for duty," Athena salutes Captain Rick Tinne, her new commanding officer.

Athena looks resplendent in her new Earth Federation Forces officers' uniform - khaki uniform jacket and matching knee length skirt and boots, her strawberry blonde hair covered by a Federation officer's peaked cap.

Captain Tinne returns the salute with a charming, roguish grin, "Welcome aboard, 1Lt. Ibaz. You come highly commended by Col. Cairlay and Lt. Col. Mackenzie, so I'm going to have high expectations of you."

"Yes, sir," Athena replies.

"And your first official duty is to accompany me as an observer in the combat simulation demonstration of the RX-780 prototype this afternoon at 13:00," Tinne continues.

"The Gundam-100, sir?" Athena asks.

Tinne nods, "That's what it's provisionally called, though after today, they'll be designating it the 'Centurion Gundam.'"

"Will you be test piloting it, sir?" Athena ventures.

Tinne chuckles, "No...the test pilot is Captain Charles Kissingham."

The mention of the name causes Athena to stiffen.

Tinne chuckles again, "Yeah...I heard you and 'Uncle Charlie' got on like a house on fire during training, Ibaz."

"Captain Kissingham and I had our share of professional disputes," Athena allows.

"Undoubtedly," Tinne says, "There will be quite a number of dignitaries at the testing: General Noa, Admiral Blackhead, Col. Cairlay, Lt. Col. Mackenzie, Dr. Kamille Bidan - director of the Gundam-100 Project, Won Li from Anaheim Enterprises, and Senators Martin Ellingham and Olivia Cortes."

Athena recognizes the names of the senators as being ranking members of the Earth Federation Armed Services Committee, closely associated with and known to be sympathetic to the policies of General Noa.

"As I understand it," Athena remarks, "the Gundam-100 incorporates technology from the RX-78NT1 Gundam Alex and the RX-93 Nu Gundam."

"You understand correctly," Captain Tinne answers with a nod, "with upgrades to make it suitable for the Federation's combat needs in the Second Universal Century. Our team gets the privilege of putting the prototype through its paces. If it's successful, the Federation will likely order a second unit."

* * *

A reunion takes place in the command tower of Revil Base's MS Test Center as, for the first time in more than a decade, (the now) Dr. Kamille Bidan meets with General Bright Noa, his former commanding officer on the _Ahrgama_ when the two served together in the AEUG (Anti-Earth Union Government) against the Titans during the Gryps Conflict.

The two men shake hands amicably, a far cry from the days more than a decade ago when Kamille frequently felt the disciplinary blow of Bright's fists upon his face. Now, there is a mutual respect that can only be earned through multiple shared life-and-death experiences.

"It's been a long time, General Noa," Kamille says pleasantly, the years and cocommittant experiences having cooled the fires of youth.

"Kamille," General Noa replies with a smile, "you're looking much better than you did when I last saw you in Ireland...ten years ago?"

Kamille nods and gives a short, bitter laugh, "It has been ten years, but to me, it feels like twenty or thirty."

Bright puts a hand on Kamille's shoulder and pats it, "The wars have been hard on all of us, but perhaps harder on you than any other."

"My days as a combat MS pilot are over," Kamille says as he looks out the window at his latest creation, the Gundam-100, being transported to the test site via a large crane mechanism, "but I know that there are still threats to our security. That's why I agreed to design the RX-780."

Bright gazes down upon the mighty mobile suit as it is lowered onto the testing ground, "And it appears you did excellent work. That machine looks like it could be the best Gundam yet."

Kamille grins modestly, "Even the best machine won't help you if you don't have the right pilot at the controls. Whom do you have in mind to pilot it?"

Bright answers, "We're considering several different candidates, but for today's test simulation, we'll have a veteran in the cockpit: Captain Charles Kissingham."

"Kissingham," Kamille vaguely recalls, "he's a One Year War veteran, I seem to remember…"

"Fourth highest scoring ace among the Federation Forces," Bright affirms, "and career officer."

Admiral Manron Blackhead and Colonel. Peter Cairlay enter the command tower, escorting two Earth Federation Government senators….Senator Martin Ellingham and Senator Gloria Cortes, members of the Armed Services Committee and longtime friends of General Noa. Relations between the two senators and Admiral Blackhead have been comparatively icier, but Blackhead and the senators are cordial as they exchange pleasantries.

"Senator Ellingham….Senator Cortes, welcome to Revil Base," General Noa receives his guests.

"Good to see you, Bright," Senator Cortes says, extending her hand, "How are Mirai and the kids?"

"Mirai and Chieming are doing well, Senator, I thank you," Bright answers, as his expression ashens, conspicuously making no reference to his son, Hathaway.

Changing the subject, the other senator, Martin Ellingham says, "We're looking forward to seeing what this new Gundam can do, Bright."

"Of course," Bright answers, "this young gentleman here is Dr. Kamille Bidan, the director of the Gundam-100 Project."

The two Earth Federation senators regard Kamille with a suppressed fascination. They have both read and heard about the Newtype Kamille Bidan, whose exploits in the RX-178 Gundam MK-II and MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, the latter of which Kamille had personally designed, were instrumental in saving the Earth Federation from itself during the Gryps Conflict.

"So you're Kamille Bidan," Senator Ellingham says, shaking the younger man's hand, "a pleasure to finally meet you, Doctor."

For his part, Kamille, never much an admirer of bureaucrats and politicians, nevertheless knows the reputations of Senator Ellingham and Senator Cortes. Both have long been champions of fair, sensible, and humane policies towards Spacenoids and opposed the Titans initiative during the UC 0080s. Both senators were instrumental in establishing reform policies that resulted in the political disestablishment of the Titans.

"It's an honor, Senators," Kamille says politely.

"We're eager to see the performance capabilities of the new Gundam-class mobile suit that Anaheim Enterprises has developed, Dr. Bidan," Senator Cortes says.

Kamille nods, "Momentarily, Senator."

As if on cue, Colonel Cairlay radios down to the testing field, "This is Cairlay. Is Captain Kissingham ready?"

"Captain Kissingham, ready and waiting for your orders in the control cockpit of the RX-780 Gundam-100, sir," comes the reply from Uncle Charlie.

"Copy, Captain Kisssingham," Cairlay responds, "Stand by."

The Gundam-100 is lowered onto the testing field by a massive crane mechanism. Kamille can hear Senators Ellingham and Cortes drawing in their breaths with anticipation as the powerful war machine comes into view.

"Senators," Kamille narrates, the slightest hint of pride in his voice, "I present to you the RX-780 Gundam-100: prototype of the first Gundam-class mobile suit of the Second Universal Century. This newest iteration of the Gundam mobile weapons platform is powered by a sixth-generation miniaturized fusion reactor, with an output of 2270 kW yielding the thrust output of 85,350 kg."

As Kamille narrates, Senators Ellingham and Cortes watch the Gundam-100 tear across the testing field as if it were the world's fastest sprinter. The speed and general fluidity of the Gundam-100's movements surpass that of any other mobile suit the two senators have seen.

"That's one nimble machine," remarks Senator Cortes, who has a background in mechanical engineering and had worked in the defense industry for years before entering politics.

"Designed to be so," Kamille remarks, "the Gundam-100's Gundarium armor shell is designed around a redesigned and upgraded mobile frame system that offers 30% greater mobility than the most advanced Gryps War era mobile suits."

As Kamille so says, the Gundam-100 launches itself two-hundred meters into the air, bending and twisting its frame as if it were a medal-winning Olympic medalist.

"The Gundam-100 features the standard suite of Gundam-class mobile suit weapons," Kamille continues, as inflatable dummy mobile suits in the shapes of Zakus and Doms are deployed and quickly cut down by the Gundam-100's vulcan cannon and beam sabers, "It is a high-performance mobile suit for the first order, but nothing we can demonstrate for you here today reflects its greatest strength."

"What do you mean, Dr. Bidan?" Senator Cortes asks, intrigued.

Kamille smiles, "The Gundam-100 was designed, above all, with adaptability in mind. It can be altered and upgraded to match the requirements and capabilities of its pilot, to an extent that no previous mobile suit could."

"Speaking of the pilot," Senator Ellingham says, "Is the test pilot today going to be assigned as the prototype's permanent pilot?"

General Noa fields that question, "No. The permanent pilot of the unit is yet to be determined, but our test pilot today is Captain Charles Kissingham."

The Gundam-100, having dispatched with the last of the test drones, turns to face the command tower.

"May I?" Senator Ellingham requests the radio transmitter from General Noa.

Bright hands the transmitter to the senator.

"Captain Kissingham," Senator Ellingham says, "This is Senator Martin Ellingham. I'd like to thank you for that excellent demonstration, and for the hard work you put in every day."

Uncle Charlie answers, "You know, Senator...it's funny. Funny that after twenty damn years of service, today is the first day that one of you fat cats in the government bothered to say 'thanks' for anything I've done for the blessed Earth Federation."

Bright and Kamille exchange worried glances as Senator Ellingham, taken aback, answers nervously, "Captain Kissingham, we've always…"

"Save it, Senator," Charlie replies, "It's too little, too late now."

Kissingham pulls the trigger, and the command tower is raked with hundreds of rounds of gunfire from the Gundam-100's vulcan cannon!

"HIT THE DECK!" General Noa yells.

The rounds strike the control room, pulverizing nearly a dozen techs seated at their control consoles and fatally wounding both senators. Panic and screams fill the control room as everyone scrambles for cover.

Bright coughs out some black smoke as the control tower goes dark, "Kamille! Kamille, are you all right?! Answer me!"

Bright hears Kamille's anguished reply, "I'm here...I'm not hit, but...I think my leg is busted."

Indeed, as the smoke clears, Bright sees the former pilot of the Zeta Gundam prone upon the glass and metal-strewn floor, bleeding from a cut to his head, a heavy piece of machinery crushing the younger man's right leg.

The smoke begins to clear slightly, and Bright sees that both Admiral Blackhead and Colonel Cairlay have also survived the attack, appearing no worse for the wear.

"Manron! Peter! Help me move this piece of fallen machinery!" Bright yells.

The two other Earth Federation officers, loath to follow commands from Bright Noa, nevertheless join his efforts to lift the piece of fallen machinery off of Kamille's leg. They do, but Bright notes that Kamille is in tremendous pain...his leg likely suffering from a severe compound fracture.

"M-my leg," Kamille complains through painfully gritted teeth, "it's shattered."

"Try not to move," Bright tells Kamille, "we'll summon medics, ASAP!"

Bright then asks no one in particular, "Do we have any mobile units out there?"

"Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie here," the beautiful red head announces over the comms channel, "I'm moving to intercept in the Alex, General."

Bright says, "Lt. Col. Mackenzie, keep the Gundam-100 prototype away from civilians!"

"Roger that, sir," Christina replies without any hesitation.

A few hundred meters away, Captain Rick Tinne and his new junior officer, 1Lt. Athena Ibaz, pick themselves up and watch the chaos unfold at the testing site.

"Should we deploy the team, Captain?" Athena suggests.

"Negative, Lt. Ibaz," Captain Tinne replies, "Under the circumstances, that would just result in more chaos. Let's take cover and observe for the moment."

"Yes, sir," Athena replies dutifully, though privately noting that Tinne appears unnaturally blase about the unfolding bedlam.

Aboard the Gundam-100's cockpit, Uncle Charlie's face is twisted in delighted rage as he rips through utility vehicles and storage warehouses with malicious glee, drunk with power, indulging in a moment of wanton destruction with no objective other than to vent years of imaginary grievances and helpless frustration.

Charlie laughs, "Well, as much as I'd love to torch this whole place, I've got a fortune to make selling this armored baby."

Charlie is about to hit the thrusters and launch the Gundam-100 out of the Green Oasis space colony that houses Revil Base, but finds his path impeded by Lt. Col. Mackenzie's Gundam Alex.

Christina's voice comes through the comms, "Captain Kissingham! Stand down, now!"

Uncle Charlie's reply comes in the form of a storm of vulcan cannon fire, which Christina blocks with the Alex's arm-mounted shield.

"Right," Christina mutters to herself, "We'll do it your way, Charlie!"

Christina immediately takes advantage of the fact that the Alex is the superior machine in terms of general performance and closes the gap between them in an instant before redlining her mobile suit's thrusters towards the nearest airlock.

"Feh," Charlie says with disgust, "I don't fight women."

So saying, the Gundam-100 kicks the Gundam Alex, knocking the older mobile suit back.

Unfortunately for Kissingham, Christina isn't about to let up. Lt. Christina Mackenzie built her successful, nearly 20-year long military career on a foundation of extraordinary tenacity. That tenacity has enabled her to hold her own and more even against better-skilled, better-armed opponents.

Christina drops the Alex's shield and starts unloading with both 90mm Gatling guns mounted in the forearms.

The Gundam-100 absorbs the punishment, which would have immolated a lesser mobile suit.

 _That damn Gundarium armor is every bit as good as advertised and then some_ , Christina notes, _he tanked those shots like they were nothing._

Two RGM-89 Jegans deployed by the Civil Defense Corps arrive on the scene.

"This is Lt. Col. Mackenzie," Christina contacts the Jegan pilots, "destroy the RX-780 if necessary, but above all, secure the colony."

"Roger, Lt. Colonel," comes the reply.

"Come and get me, boys," Uncle Charlie taunts the two Jegans.

The standard Federation MS units open fire with their beam rifles, and complying with Christina's instructions, avoid direct hits that would risk damage to the nearby space colony.

Utilizing the Gundam-100's greater power and speed, Uncle Charlie charges the lead Jegan, severing its beam rifle hand with the Gundam-100's powerful beam saber and taking the other mobile suit's beam rifle.

Charlie shoots the other Jegan squarely in the chest with the beam rifle, causing the Jegan to collapse in a burning wreck that crashes through the colony walls and lands on the grounds of Revil Base, nearly flattening Captain Rick Tinne and 1Lt. Athena Ibaz.

Athena scrambles to her feet quickly and helps her new commanding officer to his, noting the consternation evident on his countenance.

 _Damn it, Charlie, you're supposed to be more discreet_ , Tinne thinks to himself, _at this rate, you'll wreck yourself before you make the rendezvous and our retirement payout will be up in smoke!_

* * *

Seeing the chaos back at Revil Base, Christina reluctantly gives up pursuit of the Gundam-100 to lend a hand to emergency ground crews.

The Gundam-100 rockets into the darkness of space; its powerful engines leaving potential pursuers far behind.

Christina lands the Gundam Alex back onto the grounds of Revil Base. She assists with firefighting and rescue operations. Amidst the chaos, Christina spots 1Lt. Athena Ibaz among those helping to carry the wounded Dr. Kamille Bidan into a waiting ambulance.

After helping the ambulance crew, Athena looks up into the hole in the Side 7 colony created by the egress of the Gundam-100.

 _This isn't so simple_ , Athena reflects, _there's more going on here than meets the eye._


	5. Chapter 4: Jolie and Jonah

CHAPTER 4: JOLIE AND JONAH

In the year 1957 of the old Gregorian calendar that prevailed as the world standard before the advent of the Universal Century era, the Soviet Union's Sputnik I satellite became the first human-made object to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere into the cosmos.

In the two-plus centuries since Sputnik I, humanity has launched countless more objects into planetary orbit, and the remains of these objects continue to float adrift as a sort of cosmic archaeological record.

ORS-1170 was launched into orbit by Japan in the year 2038 CE, serving as a scientific data collection station until being decommissioned and abandoned in UC 0027. Cold, dark, and hollow, the cylindrical satellite, which measures 30 meters long and 12 meters wide, drifts anonymously among literally tens of thousands of similar derelicts outside the shipping lanes near Side 7, long forgotten by humanity.

On an early July evening in the year UC 0098, however, a scrap-collecting freighter registered as the _Aikawa_ deviates from the shipping lanes into a vast sargasso of metal detritus - an unremarkable event, as such forays are common for scrap-collecting freighters.

The shipmaster of the _Aikawa_ , Captain Jackson Davy Marvell, has visited these floating salvage yards on hundreds of collection missions over his thirty years as a voyager. Fancying himself as a Leif Erickson or Christopher Columbus of the Universal Century era, Marvell (if, indeed, that is his birth name - a supposition that has been challenged more than once) is more accurately characterized as a ne'er-do-well prospector. Recently, however, he has made a connection that promises to pay him well enough to retire...or perhaps to purchase a newer, larger, more luxurious vessel than the decaying old _Aikawa_ , which has been plying the spaceways since Zeon Deikun's father was a young man.

The _Aikawa_ approaches RST-1170, receiving a signal in old Morse Code from a light emanating from inside the abandoned satellite.

A figure in an Earth Federation Forces normal suit then emerges from inside the colony. Upon his thumbs up, Marvell opens the secure communications channel aboard his ship.

"Are you the man that our 'Friend Back East' said would be meeting us?" Marvell asks.

"The one and only," Captain Charles Kissingham, late of the Earth Federation Forces, now declared a traitor and wanted fugitive, replies, "and you're Captain Marvell?"

"The one and only," Marvell repeats proudly.

"Is that name for real?" Uncle Charlie asks incredulously.

"It's for real if that honey they say you've got inside that tin cylinder is real," Marvell answers, "Let's see it, my friend."

Unimpressed by Marvell, Uncle Charlie nevertheless disappears back into the derelict of RST-1170. Momentarily, the RX-780 Gundam-100 emerges from the satellite.

"Bloody awesome," exhales Captain Marvell.

"Beauty, isn't she?" asks Uncle Charlie rhetorically, "Where's my payment, Marvell?"

"You'll get it after we've got this honey delivered to our Friend Back East," Marvell answers.

Kissingham lets out an exasperated sigh, "That's not going to be good enough, Marvell."

"Not my problem," Marvell answers, "You take it up with our Friend Back East. You know, I haven't gotten paid yet either, my man."

Uncle Charlie answers through bared teeth, "Well,then, you take that rat-infested death trap you call a ship 'back east' and tell this 'friend' that he doesn't lay an eye on this 'honey,' as you call it, until I see at least ten million credits in my Swiss bank account."

"Buddy, don't do this to me," pleads Marvell, "We're all just trying to make a living. Give me a break and give yourself a break too. I've got a delivery to make, so just hand over that mobile suit and we're all good, _capice_?"

Kissingham responds with a blast of the Gundam-100's beam rifle, instantly immolating Captain Jackson Davy Marvell, his crew, and the _Aikawa_.

"Shazam," Uncle Charlie mutters as he blasts the Gundam-100 off towards the shipping lanes.

* * *

Captain Rick Tinne, commanding officer of the Centurion Special Operations Team and his new junior officer, 1Lt. Athena Ibaz, are in one of Revil Base's officers' recreation rooms playing billiards when they receive a visit from 1Lt. Eric Gardner of the Intelligence Corps. Captain Tinne watches Athena sink ball after ball into the table's pockets with startling precision as Gardner reports the latest intel to him.

"A scrap freighter registered to Frontier 8, the _Aikawa_ , was mysteriously vaporized in the space debris fields near Side 7 sixteen hours ago," Gardner reports, "dollars to donuts that it was the rendezvous ship for whoever contracted Captain Kissingham to steal the Gundam-100 prototype."

"Somebody out in the Outer Solar System, no doubt," Tinne remarks darkly, with an air of frustration and exasperation, "but looks like the deal went sour. That mobile suit could be anywhere now. Literally anywhere."

"The range of the Gundam-100's thrusters is limited," Gardner points out, "and in any case, I don't think Kissingham would risk being out in the open longer than he has to."

Athena, while sinking another ball in the pocket, interjects, "Sir, have you considered the possibility of Industria Colony?"

Gardner and Tinne exchange glances.

"Why Industria Colony, Lt. Ibaz?" Tinne asks.

Athena points to the TV screen behind them, which has been tuned to UCN (Universal Century News).

UCN correspondent Ken Cheng reports, "A vessel registered to Side 5 was abruptly vaporized near the Industria Colony approximately thirty minutes ago. It is the second such incident within the past 24 hours, following the destruction of the freighter _Aikawa_ near Side 7 yesterday…"

"Lt. Ibaz," Captain Tinne says, "Go round up the team. We're leaving for Industria, right away."

"With all due respect, sir," Athena answers, sinking the eight ball into a corner pocket to clear the table, "that would result in more chaos."

Tinne gives Athena an irritated glare for a brief moment, recognizing the words as the same ones he had spoken to her a few days earlier in the immediate aftermath of the Gundam-100's disappearance.

Tinne concedes Athena's point, however, and sees how it could work to his advantage, "All right, then, Lieutenant. We're leaving for Industria."

"Deep cover, sir?" Athena says, more by way of suggestion than questioning.

"Yes," Captain Tinne replies, "We'll go there by commercial passenger transport, in civilian dress, using an assumed name. 1Lt. Gardner can help us with travel documents. You'll be...um…"

"Audrey Burne," Athena suggests.

"Yes, that will do," Tinne answers, "Report to me when you get a lead, 'Miss Burne.'"

* * *

 _Side 3, Zum City_

Jack Spencer sits in the office of the auto shop he opened before the One Year War. Jack has also been watching the news, and knows that this Kissingham is going off on a panic-induced state of trigger happy behavior. The Colonel also knows that he needs someone to get him information on the Federation's plans… someone they wouldn't see coming.

"Quess, get in here," he says with a defeated sigh.

"I take it you want me to do the usual espionage work," the aforementioned Newtype ghost states as she manifests herself in the Zeon uniform that she wore briefly during the Second Neo Zeon War.

Jack nods, "I need you to figure out what the Federation's plan of action is concerning the stolen Gundam."

"Yes, sir," the girl says with a mock salute before disappearing.

Jack then gets up and opens the door and shouts, "Hey Penny! Can you come here for a sec?"

Penelope turns to her father and replies, "Sure thing dad."

She then turns her attention back to former ZTF Captain Gale Turner and says, "Be right back."

She heads to him, clipboard stashed underneath her arm and cup of coffee in her other hand.

Penelope is no stranger to the shop. Indeed, she practically runs it when her father is away on a mission, just one of myriad duties she performs to help her father out.

"What's up?" she asks, taking a sip of coffee.

Col. Jack Spencer gestures to the TV and says, "That."

Penelope sighs, "Let me guess, you're going out again?"

She isn't surprised, but her tone lets on that she resents her dad's forays more than she cares to admit. Still, she knows that she cannot stop him from leaving.

"Industria has absolutely no Federation presence," he states, "making it the perfect place to disappear... my bet is that Kissingham is getting desperate... I might be able to help set up a sting operation."

"Good for us, right?" she probes, "or good for the Federation? They'll want that Gundam back, you know?"

She eyes Gale trying, quite poorly, to get the engine to run again. Turner is tasked with watching her while her old man is off doing what he has to do. However, in the shop, she is the one who runs things. These days, it's becoming increasingly hard to tell who is watching whom.

"I believe it in our best interests to return the Gundam to the Federation," he replies, "Now: what is it you're to do in the event that I don't come back alive?"

Penelope groans, "Seriously?! We're still going through this? Dad, I'm not a kid anymore! I know the drill like the back of my hand!"

"Doesn't change the fact that I want you to say it."

She narrows her grey eyes at him before reciting for what seems like the hundredth time, "Upon death, empty safe of all money and find Kou Uraki or Suberoa Zinnerman. Request transport to Side 7 and locate Ryusuke Kenta and Christina Mackenzie, whom I have never met by the way. Just how the hell do you expect me to find those two?!"

"The local church is run by the Order of Saint Monica," he tells her, "it's also where the founder of the order lives... she's a friend who will gladly help you."

"Just how many friends do you have?" she demands, curiously this time as he seems to have many, most of whom she has never met and probably never will in her lifetime.

"Not nearly enough."

She frowns at that, but does not comment any further. She knows better than to press her luck in trying to help him in ways other than he instructs.

Correction: more than she is allowed to by his standards. "Dad" before "Colonel" in her case, after all. While Penelope cannot blame him, that does not stop her from trying.

"When?" she merely asks.

"Within the hour," he replies.

She nods, preparing to head back out so she can scold Gale again for being an idiot. She turns back to her dad before closing the door.

"Just... Be safe, okay?" Penelope whispers softly.

"I always am, aren't I?"

She gives him a small smile before she yells, "Gale, you idiot, put that down before you destroy another car!"

* * *

At this same time, far away from the Earth Sphere, equidistant between the orbits of Earth and Mars, the space freighter _Garancieres_ is on course to the space colony Frontier 8.

With the completion of the Side 7 space colonies at the end of the UC 0070s, the Earth Federation Government turned its attention next towards establishing space colonies beyond the Earth Sphere...as a necessary way station to the Outer Solar System and so that the Earth Federation could establish a first foothold outside of Cislunar Space, beyond the reach of Zeon hegemony.

Though conceived and planned by the Earth Federation Government in the mid UC 0070s, construction of Frontier 8 was postponed by the outbreak of the One Year War. Construction activities began in earnest during the summer of UC 0080. During the early UC 0080s, the Earth Federation Forces utilized Frontier 8 as a "listening post" to monitor the Zeon remnants that had fled into the Outer Solar System, using the civilian facilities as a cover for the location's intelligence-gathering function.

The first civilian settlers arrived at Frontier 8 in UC 0090, shortly after the conclusion of the First Neo Zeon War. By UC 0098, the population of Frontier 8 numbers 30,000,000 - many of the residents working in the asteroid mining, construction, and tourism industries.

The Earth Federation Forces maintain a relatively limited garrison at Frontier 8. Initially, this garrison was sufficient to meet Frontier 8's security needs, but with the expansion of Zeon power beyond the Earth Sphere during the UC 0080s and 0090s, the residents of Frontier 8 have lived uneasily with the shadow of Zeon warlordism looming over their colonies.

None of these thoughts are on the mind of Captain Suberoa Zinnerman on the bridge of the _Garancieres_.

Sipping at a cup of tea, Zinnerman says, "Update, Chief Navigator."

The bridge officer in charge of navigation reports, "We're on course for Frontier 8, Captain. At current speed, we will be docking at the colony within 48 hours.

The sound of a young woman's voice ranting incoherently can be heard in the corridor outside the open door to the bridge. The bridge techs exchange exasperated glances as Captain Zinnerman closes the soundproofed door.

Zinnerman sighs and thinks to himself, _As soon as we arrive at Frontier 8, I'm going to have to have Marida checked out at a hospital facility. The ship's medic says that she's physically fine, but…_

Truthfully, Captain Zinnerman knows what's bothering her… he's been able to sense an extraordinarily powerful Newtype presence since they were at Phobos… one that stood out from the rest… and it's beginning to seem like whoever this individual is has stowed away on his ship…

* * *

"Fucking shit! FUCKING SHIT, IT'S SO PAINFUL!" screams 1Lt. Marida Cruz, her feral voice echoing across the decks, "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, SO PAINFUL! JUST KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!"

Struggling to her private quarters, Marida can barely tap in the code to open the door.

Entering the room, Marida cradles her head and lets out an inhuman scream. She picks up a vase from the nearby coffee table and prepares to chuck it across the room.

Loni Garvey, then just entering the room, holds up her hands supplicatingly, "Whoa! WHOA! It's me, Mari!"

Marida drops the vase, allowing it to shatter on the ground.

"No better, huh?" Loni probes.

"DO I LOOK OR SOUND FUCKING BETTER, LONI?!" Marida answers.

Loni steps up to Marida and puts her hands comfortingly on the other young woman's shoulders, "Hey...let's go down to the galley and grab a cup of coffee, OK?"

"I DON'T NEED A FUCKING CUP OF COFFEE!" Marida retorts, "HOW'S CAFFEINE GOING TO HELP?!"

"OK, OK," Loni says soothingly, "Let's go down to the galley anyway. Maybe a chocolate sundae would help."

Somewhat reluctantly, Marida allows Loni to guide her through the corridors and up the lift to the ship's galley.

* * *

The two young women enter the galley to overhear the ship's cook, Oscar Bibbus, grumbling.

"Chef Bibs," Loni greets the rotund cook of the _Garancieres_ , "what's up?"

"Hi, ladies," Bibbus replies, scratching his head, "I don't get it...I just don't get it!"

"What is it you don't get?" Loni asks, steadying Marida, who appears to be suffering a fresh round of migraines.

"Food has been disappearing from this kitchen for weeks now," Bibbus tells them, "See this pizza here? It was whole just a few minutes ago! I went to check up on the chicken a la king I was making for tonight's dinner. I wasn't gone ninety seconds, and then I come back...badda bing, badda boom! Two slices gone! Just like that!"

Loni and Marida look at each other as a realization dawns on them.

"It's been going on since we left Phobos Colony a few weeks back," Chef Bibbus continues, "It's never much. A sandwich here, a hard boiled egg there...now two slices of pizza. I'd say it's a mouse, but you ever see mice so neat about their business?"

A smile appears on Loni's face, "Chef Bibs, I've got an idea. Want to help us catch a mouse?"

Loni whispers into the cook's attentive ear.

* * *

A few hours later, Chef Bibbus cooks up a veritable storm in the _Garancieres_ ' kitchen. All pungent, mouthwatering dishes - veal cacciatore, roast leg of lamb, garlic rotisserie chicken…

"Hmm…" Bibbus says, checking his watch, loudly enough to be heard, "Captain Zinnerman said he wanted me to meet with him in the ship's conference room around now to talk about the crew's nutrition plan. I'd better go."

So saying, Bibbus leaves the kitchen.

Minutes after the chef's departure, a lithe, wiry young male form steals into the kitchen, reaching for the garlic rotisserie chicken turning over the grill…

"GOTCHA!"

Marida Cruz and Loni Garvey quickly lunge from their places of concealment upon the mysterious figure. They quickly overpower him, binding him like a turkey about to be roasted.

"Who are you?!" Marida demands, eyes flashing with rage, her elbow on the young man's throat, "What are you doing here?! TALK, DAMN IT!"

"Mari, stop it! You'll kill him!" Loni says, pulling her partner away, "Let's bring him to Captain Zinnerman!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, the young man...fresh-faced and handsome, is brought bound to Captain Zinnerman's personal quarters, where the is youth is tied securely to a seat.

"Mari, Loni...please leave us alone for a few minutes," the shipmaster of the _Garancieres_ instructs.

Marida, her eyes still full of fury, appears reluctant to leave, but Loni pulls her away.

After the two young women have left, Captain Zinnerman fixes the young man with a stern glare and says gravely, "Young man, explain yourself."

"I'm Jonah...Michaels," replies the young man, "I...I'm from Phobos Colony."

"So I gathered," Zinnerman nods, "and you're here because…"

"Political asylum," Jonah answers, "I just want safe passage to the Earth Sphere. My brother...he wanted to force me to join the Phobos Zeon Forces, but I'm no soldier! I don't want to kill or be killed! I'm an artist! A painter!"

"I see," answers Captain Zinnerman, stroking his beard thoughtfully, "but Jonah...you're a stowaway aboard my ship. I did not give you permission to board. Moreover, I don't know who you are, or whether I should believe your story about wanting political asylum."

"Captain, please," Jonah pleads, "I can't go back to Phobos."

"Nor do I have any plans to send you back," replies Zinnerman, "but if you're going to continue to ride the _Garancieres_ , there is a price you will need to pay."

Jonah swallows nervously as the captain of the _Garancieres_ smiles.

* * *

Several hours later, Jonah, dressed in the nondescript uniform of a _Garancieres_ orderly (a simple ensemble of shirt, paper hat, and apron) scrubs the metal-plated corridor decks of the ship with a mop and bucket of soapy water.

Jonah mops and scrubs diligently, without resentment. Though raised in privilege as the youngest scion of the aristocratic Miguel Family, Jonah has never minded doing a little work and contributing his share. He scrubs with vigor, leaving the deck sparkling clean.

Entering the corridor, smoking a pipe, Captain Zinnerman nods approvingly. He is taking a liking to the young man, but is also determined to find out more about this mysterious stowaway.

"Captain, sir," Jonah bows his head as he spots the ship's master.

"Getting used to the work, Michaels?" the captain inquires.

"Yes, sir," Jonah answers, bowing his head respectfully again, "thanks again for letting me stay aboard."

"You mentioned you had family back at Phobos," Zinnerman says casually, "They're probably worried about you."

"I know," Jonah replies regretfully, "and I'm sorry about that, but I still had to go."

"The military life isn't for everybody," admits Zinnerman, "and General Alexander Miguel is notoriously demanding of his troops. I visited with him while the _Garancieres_ was docked at Phobos. A man of extraordinary charisma and talent, I must say."

The mention of his brother's name causes Jonah to stiffen; he prays that Captain Zinnerman did not notice.

"So you say you have a brother at Phobos?" asks Zinnerman, as if on cue.

"Y-yes," Jonah stammers, "and an older sister, though she's seldom home."

"Michaels," Zinnerman says, "It's your business, not mine, but as an elder man who's done a little living, I suggest that you get in touch with your family after we reach Side 7. Just to let them know you're OK. A good man needs to be accountable, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Jonah answers, "Thank you, sir. I'll bear that in mind."

Captain Zinnerman gives Jonah a pat on the shoulder and makes his way to the bridge.

* * *

Athena, operating under the guise of a freelance investigative reporter named Audrey Burne (with false credentials supplied via 1Lt. Eric Gardner), is finding it impossible to get to the Industria Colony via commercial civilian passenger transport. Athena has spent the entire day trying to book a flight that, it turns out, does not exist.

Exhausted, she decides to head to the Andromeda Nightclub, a favorite watering hole for the denizens of the colony Green Noa 1.

Athena walks up to the bar and prepares to sit down when a strangely familiar prosthetic hand slides her a drink.

"Long day?" the familiar voice of Colonel Jack Spencer asks.

"You've certainly got stones," Athena says, sipping at the drink placed before her, "Side 7 Revil Base is crawling with Earth Federation Forces officers, you know?"

"It helps that a couple of them are actually close friends of mine," he replies.

"I need passage, Jack," Athena says, "Industria Colony, Side 5. Low key. No attention."

"The only people who go in or out of there are scrappers," the Colonel tells her, "Fortunately, I've been _hired_ as some muscle by the captain of one such ship."

"When and where?" Athena asks, downing the drink and ordering another.

"That can be discussed later," says with a more serious tone, "Your C.O. Rick Tinne is not to be trusted."

"You're saying that Tinne is a turncoat?" Athena asks, suddenly alarmed.

"I'm saying he's a Titan."

"The Titans don't exist anymore," Athena says, "the last of them were wiped out at the start of '88."

"Blackhead and Cairlay are both Titans," Jack says calmly, "I know this because I made it a point to acquire the complete manifesto of Titan's operatives from the remains of A Baoa Qu… You'd be surprised how many were unaccounted for…they're preparing to make a comeback."

Athena offers Jack a cigarette as she loads one between her own lips and lights up.

Athena inhales and exhales deeply from the cigarette before she remarks, "I'll watch out for them."

"My people have intercepted a number of encrypted transmissions that go to or from Blackhead's office into the Outer Solar System… our trajectory and calculations places the other end of these calls at Phobos."

Athena exhales another column of smoke, "Miguel…"

"I'm willing to bet a year's salary that Miguel paid for the Gundam to be stolen," Jack says as he downs a shot of Wild Turkey, "And I'd bet my life savings that Kissingham got greedy… now he's desperate… I could help you set up a sting operation."

Athena inhales from the cigarette and then remarks, "Tell me more…"

"Are you familiar with a group called the Sleeves?"

Athena turns to Jack, "That paramilitary group supposedly attached to Artasia Deikun's Independent Spacenoid Republic Movement at Side 3? The Federation lists them as terrorists."

"And yet, we've never actually killed any Federation military personnel," he replies, "And any instance that says otherwise wasn't us… the culprits always use Rick Dias. No one in the Sleeves pilots Rick Dias."

"I'm not particular," Athena answers, "I'll accept any help...as long as it's helpful."

"Kissingham has been reportedly looking for work as a mercenary… I figure an offer from the Sleeves will make some damn good bait to draw him out."

"First order of business being to flush 'Uncle Charlie' out of hiding, of course," Athena amends, butting out the final remains of her smoked-out cigarette.

"He's scared, desperate, and probably jumping at his own shadow from paranoia at this point," Jack points out, "You gotta let him come to you… if you try to flush him out, then a lot more people will die than if you play things the way I'm suggesting. Always assume there will be casualties either way, and you're better prepared to prevent them."

"We need to act within 48 hours," Athena says by way of acknowledgement, "the longer we delay, the greater chance that we're going to lose the prototype for good."

"Docking Bay 3," Jack replies as he stands up, "You'll know which one it is."

Athena pays the tab for both their drinks, "See you at Industria."

* * *

Docking Bay 3, Side 7, is among the most heavily trafficked at the Side 7 International Spaceport. A large transport vessel, which in its previous life had been a _Pegasus_ -class battle carrier, awaits there.

"This is the _Albion_ ," remarks an astonished Captain Rick Tinne, dressed in civilian clothing like a longshoreman's, "I'll be damned. Had no idea it was consigned to hauling scrap."

"I just hope we won't attract too much attention going in," Athena comments, "or out."

A 16-year-old boy with red hair and a heterochromia Iridum is followed by a short blond in an outfit that can only be described as a fashion trainwreck and a girl in a rather odd blue and white outfit approach the two incognito Earth Federation Special Forces officers.

"So you're the guys that Jack said were looking for a way to Industria," the redhead teen says with a charming grin, "I'm Tristan, and the fashion nightmare to my right is Fritz."

"H-hey, these are your hand me downs," Fritz snaps.

"I'm Aeon," the girl says in a quiet voice, "It's nice to meet you."

"Hey," pipes up another girl with blue hair, red eyes, and attire no less odd than that of her companions shouts from the end if the corridor

"Doing introductions without me," the blue-haired girl protests with faux hurt, "You're so cruel!"

"I'm Tremmie," the girl begins gregariously, "and the pinkette hiding behind me..."

Athena and Tinne only just notice another girl behind Tremmie, her hair a shade of carnation pink and her preferred raiment, a white poncho.

"...is my cousin Lapis," Tremmie finishes.

"Let's not smother our guests," a deep, masculine voice said from behind. Athena turns to see a tall, muscular black man wearing a strange cheetah-patterned outfit and circular sunglasses standing balancing a large crate his right shoulder, "Fritz, go tell Captain Uraki that our guests have arrived, and we're ready for departure."

Fritz grins widely at the large man, "You got it, Gav."

"You'll have to forgive their behavior," he tells them, "they are teenagers after all… I'm Gavenger by the way."

Athena shakes his hand politely and offers her most charming smile, "Audrey Burne, freelance reporter. This is my editor," indicating Captain Rick Tinne.

"Pleasure," Gavenger says, "step aboard and make yourselves comfortable. We'll be shipping out in about a quarter hour."

Athena thanks Gavenger, and she and Captain Tinne board the ship.

"Circus is in town," Tinne whispers into Athena's ear after Gavenger and the teens are out of earshot, "What a bunch of freaks."

"As long as they quietly get us to Industria Colony, sir," is all Athena whispers back in response.

* * *

Three hours later, the _Albion_ pulls into Industria Colony at Side 5. The space port continues to operate, but no authority governs whatever and whoever comes and goes. A perpetual state of anarchy permates Industria, even at the space port, and law-abiding Spacenoids give the colony a wide berth.

"I'll dig around the space port and see what I can find out," Captain Tinne instructs, "you go into town and see if you find any leads there."

"Right," Athena answers, dispensing with the usual military etiquette to help conceal their identities and purpose.

"Get in touch if you discover anything worth noting," Tinne says.

Though humoring her commanding officer, Athena doubts that he will find much information of value at the spaceport, which even Uncle Charlie, fool though he is, would be canny enough to avoid.

* * *

Making her way into Industria City on foot (a short walk of just two kilometers from the spaceport), Athena finds herself surrounded by desolation the likes of which she has never seen. During her time in Tanzania and Central Asia, Athena had seen the indignity of privation, but never has she seen anything like in Industria Colony.

The heyday of Industria Colony, located at Side 5, was during the UC 0040s and 0050s, when the colony was the site of heavy manufacturing activities for the construction of the space colonies themselves. Industria was one of the key factory engines of the colony construction program itself, but as colony construction began winding down in the UC 0060s, Industria's economic fortunes faded, factories shuttered, and the working families migrated elsewhere, leaving Industria to the derelict. The colony's deterioration accelerated alarmingly beginning in the early UC 0080s with the completion of Side 7, and Industria increasingly became the domain of the criminal element - or anybody else who wanted or needed to get lost…

A tall, thin man with an unsavory demeanor about him leans against a lamp post whose bulb flickers feebly, his teeth biting down on a cigarette that Athena can tell from its scent and appearance is decidedly not the same variety she smokes.

"Hey, girlie," the thin man says solicitously, "Interest you in a smoke?"

Athena eyes the man warily, but says nothing to him. He does not appear to be the sort who would be helpful to achieving her objective, and engaging him in conversation would likely prove a waste of time.

An instant later, the young man's arms are around Athena's supple waist, "C'mon, babe. Don't just leave like that…"

Athena jams her elbow sharply into the man's sternum, knocking the breath out of him. He releases her from his grip, and Athena spins and decks him with a backhanded punch that breaks the man's nose.

Her point made, Athena moves on.

All around her, a ruin. A word that seems particularly apt to characterize Industria. Not a single building is intact. The condition of the streets suggest that they have not received maintenance in decades. Everything...everyone is crumbling.

It seems a most unpromising place to locate the Earth Federation Forces' most advanced combat mobile suit...but perhaps that is the precise reason that Kissingham brought the Gundam-100 prototype here.

A seafood delivery truck, so identified by the illustration of a fish on its side panels, rumbles slowly down one of the colony's central streets. Athena wonders that Industria could support a grocery retail or restaurant service that would require a delivery of seafood inventory.

A terrible roaring noise suddenly becomes audible in the air above the street, causing the nearby buildings to quiver and crumble a bit more. The din soon becomes overwhelming.

 _A mobile suit!_ Athena realizes, _but surely, Kissingham isn't stupid enough to...!_

What comes into view a moment later is not the Gundam-100, though it is indeed a mobile suit...one quite unlike any other Athena has ever seen. Its legs appear to have been salvaged from an MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II, but its central torso and head appear to have been jury-rigged from an MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai, and its arms and hands from an MS-14F Gelgoog Marine. The whole thing has a lashed-together, falling-apart look to it...almost comical.

The Frankenstein MS lands on the street, directly behind the seafood delivery truck, which attempts to accelerate, but is caught in the MS's Gelgoog hands, stopping it cold.

"GIVE! GIVE!" the voice of a young girl booms through the mobile suit's external speakers.

The terrified seafood truck driver and his assistant rapidly disembark from and abandon their vehicle, running for their lives, screaming at the top of their lungs.

The jury-rigged mobile suit...appearing a bit unsteady and ready to collapse at any moment, small parts falling off of its armor, uses its titanic strength to separate the cargo container from the engine mount. Having claimed its prize, the mobile suit jets away, trailing black smoke behind it.

Athena follows the black smoke trail...sensing that the pilot of the MS could possibly be helpful to her.

The trail of black smoke comes to an end at a large industrial salvage yard...one plentifully stocked with military scrap...including some nearly intact, but obviously decommissioned and likely non-functional mobile suits, almost entirely of One Year War vintage.

A sign at the gate of the junkyard originally read "JIM'S SALVAGE," but "JIM'S" has been unceremoniously crossed out and replaced by a crudely scrawled, "JOLIE'S"

The Frankensuit sets the seafood truck cargo container on the grounds of the salvage yard. The MS squats agilely in front of the container, and the monoeye of its Zaku head flickers off.

The cockpit opens, and a girl, her head concealed by a One Year War-era standard Earth Federation Forces mobile suit pilot's helmet, emerges.

 _She..._ Athena gapes... _such a powerful Newtype aura...more than Char...more than Haman...more than anyone I've ever encountered._

The girl doffs the orange helmet, and Athena draws in her breath as she takes a visual measure of the girl, no more than sixteen years old by Athena's estimation. The girl is lithe and petite, but athletically built, standing about 155 centimeters tall and probably weighing no more than 40 kilograms, with long, luscious black hair and large, dark eyes that unmistakably reveal an Asiatic heritage (most likely Chinese and/or Vietnamese, Athena surmises, though with the slightest hint of a European heritage). The girl's smooth complexion and delicate features would be the envy of the most glamorous teenage fashion models or cinema/television/pop music stars, as would her long, smooth, silky legs and thighs, scarcely concealed by the girl's alarmingly short Daisy Dukes shorts, which barely cover as much a G-string bikini bottom and which she wears with a dirty white crop top that probably has not been laundered in years and a pair of old Doc Martens boots that have long since lost any luster they might once have had.

 _I thought I was a hot piece of ass_ , Athena thinks wryly for a moment, _but THIS girl...wow._

Throwing the helmet aside carelessly, the girl leaps acrobatically from the opened MS cockpit, somersaulting like an Olympic gymnast, letting out a zestful "WOO HOO!" before landing with the grace of a cat in front of the seafood cargo container.

"HARO!" the girl calls out.

A green robotic ball rolls into view from the midst of the junkpile.

"Let's see what we got, Haro!"

So saying, the girl picks up a nearby crowbar and attempts to pry the cargo doors of the truck open. Athena can see by the girl's lack of body weight and upper arm strength that she would not be able the access the the cargo hold of the truck by prying the door open.

Athena's guess being on target, the girl throws aside the crowbar in frustration and says to the robotic ball, "Gimme a cutting file, Haro! Heavy grade!"

The Haro extends a robotic hand into its innards and extracts the requested tool, handing it to the girl.

After several minutes of intense filing, the girl successfully cuts open the latch of the truck's cargo door. She nimbly climbs into the hold, with the spherical robot rolling in after her.

Athena takes advantage of the moment to climb the fence into the salvage yard.

Landing silently with no small degree of grace of her own, Athena gathers in her surroundings. Towering around her are several decommissioned mobile suits.

 _Incredible_ , Athena marvels, _I wonder if…_

The powerful Newtype aura behind her causes Athena to rapidly spin in alarm.

The diminutive, long-haired, wide-eyed girl appears seemingly from the air...lancing out viciously with her weapon...a….frozen fish?!

 _A barracuda_ , Athena mentally identifies as the sharp-snouted frozen fish approaches her throat like the blade of a sword.

Athena falls on her derriere, the tip of the barracuda positioned treacherously at her neck.

"You," the girl locks into her with those large, fiery black eyes, "I noticed you tailing me all the way back on the street when I took the fish truck! What do you want?!"

Athena smacks the barracuda aside in disgust, "I'm not here for your fish. I need your help."

"Help?" the girl blinks at Athena quizzically, "Better explain yourself fast, Red, because you're trespassing on my turf right now."

"I'm Audrey Burne," Athena lies, "I'm a freelance investigative reporter. I'm here to document the daily lives of the people here at Industria Colony."

"Investigative reporter, eh?" the girl answers, her tone skeptical.

"Yes," Athena affirms, "Who are you?"

The girl exhales, seeming to decide to trust Athena, and helps the other young woman to her feet, "My name's Jolie Minh. I live in this junkyard. You said you want my help. What kind of 'help' are you talking about?"

Athena points to the cobbled-together anthropomorphic combat machine towering outside the sheet metal shack, "I need your...mobile suit."

The angry expression returns to Jolie Minh's youthful, pretty face, and she holds the frozen barracuda to Athena's throat again, "No fucking way! The Muttmech is my whole livelihood! How am I supposed to make a living here if you wreck it?! Forget it! Besides, what would you need a mobile suit for to write an article about life in this shithole?!"

"Fine," Athena answers with a sigh, seeing that reasoning with Jolie isn't going to get her far, "Is there any other kind of help you can provide me, then?"

So saying, Athena offers Jolie a cigarette and lights it for her, then lights up one of her own.

Jolie exhales a cloud of tobacco smoke, clearly no stranger to the vice, "Maybe we could talk to old Freddy."

"Who's this 'Freddy' and how can he help?" Athena inquires.

Jolie answers, "Freddy is Industria Colony's biggest industrial scrap dealer. He's got an operation that makes my little yard here look like a hot dog stand by comparison. I do business with him sometimes. But I've got to warn you: the guy is utter scum...even wanted to make me a deal for a Zeta Plus that I knew he didn't have if I'd have sex with him! EWWWW! Gross! No way! Even if he had that Zeta Plus or even Kamille Bidan's original Zeta Gundam itself, I wouldn't have made that deal! I've got standards, you know! BUT, if you want to know what comes in and out of Industria's ports, including the underground ones that nobody else knows about, old Freddy is the man to talk to. "

Athena covers her lips with the back of her hand, suppressing a giggle, "So let's go meet this 'Freddy.'"

"Tomorrow," Jolie answers, "That's when Freddy will be back from his semi-monthly delivery run."

Athena nods. Looks like she's going to be spending the night, and possibly the next few days, at Industria Colony.

As if reading her thoughts, Jolie pipes up, "You're gonna need a place to stay. You can stay here with me."

Athena grins at Jolie's hospitality, "Hope I'm not imposing on you."

Jolie heads for the fish truck, "I got plenty of fish. You can share my pallet with me, if you don't mind tight quarters."

* * *

Within twenty minutes, a bonfire is set in the middle of the Industria junkyard that Jolie calls home. Athena and Jolie roast fish over the fire on scrap metal skewers.

"Try the cod," Jolie offers from her skewer, "It's good! Always great when I nab a truck with cod!"

"Thanks," Athena answers, accepting the roasted fish, "So what's your story? How did you end up here in Industria Colony?"

Jolie stuffs a chunk of roasted fish into her mouth and speaks as she chews, "I'm a war orphan."

"That makes two of us," Athena answers casually, pouring herself a cup of that veritable jet fuel that Jolie calls "coffee."

Whether Jolie heard Athena's remark or not, she goes on with her story, "My family and thousands of our neighbors at Quebec Colony were murdered by a Zeke raid led by Alexander Miguel in 0092…"

* * *

 _Quebec Colony, Side 5, October 6, UC 0092…_

 _Quebec Colony was founded in the early UC 0050s by space colonists from Quebec, Canada on Earth. Consequently, the colony's culture is predominantly French in character. Many people of Vietnamese-Chinese heritage, whose ancestors on Earth once lived under French rule in the 20th Century of the old Gregorian calendar, also reside at Quebec Colony. Among those residents are Earth Federation Forces Civil Defense Corps MS pilot 1Lt. Dominic Minh, his wife Sophie, and their two children, Jean and Jolie._

 _Breakfast time at the Minh home on October 6, U.C. 0092 is no different from any other morning. Dominic reads a report about some kind of tactical alert while drinking his morning coffee._

 _Sophie Manet-Minh looks at her husband worriedly. Noting the somber expression on his face, she ventures, "Is something wrong? Are the Zeons going to attack the colonies again?'_

 _Dominic inhales deeply. Over the last few months, Side 5 has come under periodic attack by elements of the Phobos Division of the Neo Zeon forces. It is well known that the Phobos Division is commanded by a young Zeon colonel named Alexander Miguel, the son of the aristocratic Zeon general Carmine Miguel. Colonel Alexander Miguel is infamous among the Federal Forces for his particularly cruel and vicious attacks against civilian space colonies. Already, Miguel's forces have put a serious dent in Side 5's civil defense network, and reinforcements from Earth have not been forthcoming._

 _Dominic believes that all that will soon change. The report that he is presently reading indicates that the Federal Forces will deploy the Londo Bell Force to deal with the Phobos problem. The Londo Bell Force is personally commanded by the legendary Captain Amuro Ray, pilot of the original Gundam and hero of the One Year War._

 _The knowledge that the Londo Bell Force and Captain Amuro are on the way gives Dominic reason to be optimistic, so he reassures his wife, "Don't worry. It's going to be fine. Federation HQ has deployed Londo Bell to reinforce us. Let's not scare the kids."_

 _Sophie nods and changes the subject to something comparatively lighter, "Jolie was kept in detention at school again yesterday."_

 _Dominic blinks somewhat dumbfoundedly at this wife, "Again? This is the third time in as many weeks. Let me guess: she was in another fight?"_

 _Sophie sighs, "Yes. Our little girl is too much like you. She has too much fight in her."_

 _Dominic smiles, "You can never have 'too much fight' in you...not in this world."_

 _Sophie asks, "Don't you think we should show Jolie other ways of solving problems?"_

 _Dominic replies, "You're worried she'll get hurt? We both know that she can take care of herself in a scrap."_

 _"That's not the point," Sophie says, "I know Jolie has always won every fight she's been in, but she can't go through life punching people as a way of solving problems."_

 _"I'm not saying you're wrong," Dominic answers, "but her heart is in the right place. Every fight she's gotten into at school was because she couldn't stand watching some schoolyard bully picking on the weaker kids. You know how she hates that. I'm very proud of her. She's got a hero's heart."_

 _"She does," Sophie concurs, "but even so, it's…"_

 _Sophie never gets to complete her remark. At that moment, twelve-year old Jean Minh and ten-year old Jolie Minh run down the stairs, heavily burdened with textbooks and backpacks._

 _Dominic scoops his daughter Jolie into his arms, much to Jolie's delight, "Hey, kiddo! So you got into a fight at school again! Mommy and I were going to punish you right away, but since it is your birthday, we'll wait until tomorrow!"_

 _Jolie doesn't seem too worried by her father's threat of punishment. Her parents' punishments tend to be rather mild. She expects not much worse than losing the privilege of going out to play with her friends for a few weeks, but nevertheless feels obliged to explain, "There was this bully and he…"_

 _Dominic says sternly, "Jolie, not every problem is solved by caving somebody's face in."_

" _You do it," Jolie points out._

" _That's different," Dominic retorts, "I'm a soldier."_

" _Yeah," Jolie smiles, "...and I'll be one too when I'm grown up."_

" _Until then…" Dominic begins._

 _The sound of the local school bus fills the Minhs' living room._

 _"We'll talk about this later," Dominic finishes, ushering Jolie and her brother out the door and towards the school bus, "Have a good day at school and DON'T GET INTO ANY MORE FIGHTS!"_

 _"Jolie," Sophie calls out, "Come home after school right away this afternoon. We're having a birthday party for you!"_

 _"Right, Mom!" Jolie replies as she dashes onto the school bus._

* * *

 _Recess time at Joan D'Arc Elementary School! Jolie is playing basketball with the other children. A natural athlete who exhibits catlike reflexes, Jolie speeds around a triad of defenders to toss the ball into the basket for two points...her twenty-ninth and thirtieth of the game._

 _As the game progresses, it becomes increasingly physical. A tough, mean school bully named Bradley pushes down little Fumiko Hasegawa, a 5th Grader in the same class as Jolie. Fumiko falls to the ground, her knees and elbows skinned._

 _As Fumiko begins sobbing, Bradley bounces the basketball hard against the girl's head, "Wussy girl!"_

 _Fumiko cries harder, and Bradley's anger begins to rise, "Hey, shut up, you crybaby! You wanna get me into trouble?! I said shut up!"_

 _Bradley raises his hand to strike Fumiko, but his hand is caught by Jolie, who spins him around and gives him a terrific slap in the face._

 _"Why you little bit…" Bradley rages, lunging at Jolie._

 _Jolie easily evades the powerful, but clumsy bully, and knees him in the gut._

 _Bradley reels from the attack and takes a second to catch his breath. Growling like a rabid animal, he charges at Jolie again._

 _Once again, Jolie dodges the bully, extending her leg to trip him. When he rises in an attempt to strike her again, she plants a punch on his nose that sends him down for the count._

 _Jolie stands over the fallen bully, "Go away, Bradley, and don't let me catch messing with my friends or anybody else again. Next time, I'm gonna hurt you for real."_

 _Bradley, knowing that he's been beaten by a girl half his size, slinks away, more from humiliation than pain._

 _Jolie helps Fumiko up, "You OK, Fumi?"_

 _"Yeah," Fumiko replies, "Thanks, Jo."_

 _Jolie shrugs, "No prob. Hey! You're coming to my birthday party later today, right?"_

 _Fumiko smiles, "Yeah. Been looking forward to it."_

 _As the school bell indicates the end of recess, Jolie tells her friend, "My house after school, then!"_

* * *

 _At that same moment, at L'Ouverture MS Station elsewhere in the Quebec Colony, Captain Ibin Al-Atta of the MS Civil Defense Corps is briefing his subordinates._

 _"Ladies and gentlemen," Captain Al-Atta tells the gathered Federal Forces MS pilots, "Green Noa Command has notified me that the Phobos Division has mobilized again and will probably strike Side 5 some time tonight. We are vastly outnumbered, and reinforcements from Earth are not expected to arrive in time to assist us. The safety of all personnel and civilians in Side 5 rests with us."_

 _1Lt. Dominic Minh clutches a defiant fist, "Let those Zeon scum come here! We'll splatter them all over the Earth Sphere!"_

 _A roar of approval rises among the Federal Forces MS pilots._

 _"All right then," Captain Al-Atta says after the cheers die down, "Good luck to you all. Let's mobilize."_

 _From launch ports all around the Quebec Colony, RGM-89 Jegans, RGM-86R GM-IIIs (one of which is piloted by 1Lt. Dominic Minh), and RMS-179 GM-IIs sortie out in formation to meet the onslaught of the Phobos Division._

* * *

 _Some distance away, the Phobos Division approaches. They are five_ Gwadjin _class battlecruisers and fifty MS strong. Among the flotilla of standard, green-colored AMS-119 Geara Dogas is a single black AMS-119S Officer's Geara Doga._

 _In the cockpit of the black mobile suit is twenty-five year old Colonel Alexander Miguel. One of the most decorated young officers in Leader Char Aznable's Neo Zeon army, Alexander has recently assumed command of the Phobos Division after the passing of his father, General Carmine Miguel. Alexander has earned himself a reputation as one of the deadliest and most ruthless military commanders on either the Earth or Zeon side._

 _Major Ross Davenport, a good friend of Alexander's since their days together in the Zeon_

 _Archduchy Military Academy, addresses his friend and commanding officer through the tactical net, "Alex?"_

 _Alex's cold, strong voice comes through the tac net, "Ross?"_

 _Davenport continues, "Sir, may I take the liberty of asking what our objective is in attacking this colony? The Leader…"_

 _Alexander silences Davenport, "The Leader is the visionary and inspiration of our people, Major. The people of Zeon can never truly be free until the last degenerate Earthnoid Oldtype is eradicated. Our enemies are not only those who live on the Earth, Ross, but also those who live in space and pledge allegiance to those worms who burrow themselves into the Earth. These are traitors, Ross, and you know what fate awaits traitors."_

* * *

 _At the Minh household back in Quebec Colony, Jolie's tenth birthday party is put on hold as Sophie Minh and her two children scramble to pack their most important belongings in preparation for evacuation._

 _Sophie and Jean are ready to go, but Jolie is still rummaging around upstairs._

" _Jolie!" Sophie calls up the stairs, "Hurry! The attack could make its way here any moment! We have to get to the shelters, now!"_

" _Coming! Coming!" Jolie yells back. Ten seconds later, she all but leaps from the top of the stairs, carrying a long, heavy object in her hand._

" _Why…?" Sophie begins._

" _It's important to our family, Mom," Jolie says, "You know that!"_

 _Sophie does. The Minh (originally Ming) Jian, a double-bladed Chinese long iron_ jian _sword forged a millennium ago during China's Song Dynasty, with the Chinese character for "Ming" (_ _明_ _) engraved on its_ hushou _(equivalent to a Western broad sword's rain guard), passed down from generation to generation of the Minh family._

" _All right, you take good care of that," Sophie says to her daughter, "We need to go, now!"_

* * *

 _Outside the Quebec Colony, the Phobos Division and the Federal Forces' civil defense squadrons are about to clash!_

 _Captain Al-Atta, in his RGM-79 Jegan, addresses his pilots through the Federal Forces tac net, "Enemy MS sighted, bearing four three zero niner. We have signatures: AMS-119 Geara Dogas. Fifty in number. Contact in twenty-five seconds. Stand by to commence firing."_

 _Opposing them, Alexander Miguel smiles predatorily, his mouth watering, "Smite them," he orders with a rasp._

 _The battle is joined in an instant. Here, a Jegan detaches the head of a Geara Doga with its beam saber. There, a Doga turns a GM-II into flaming wreckage with its gatling beam rifle. In another part of the battle zone, a Zeon MS forces its hand into a Federal MS's cockpit and crushes its pilot to death. Terrible scenes of MS warfare erupt everywhere._

 _Before long, it becomes evident that the tide is turning badly against the Federal Forces. Captain Al-Atta, battered and bloodied in his seriously damaged, atmosphere-leaking MS, grunts out an order, "Don't let them attack the colony!"_

 _A GM-II attempts a strafing dive at Col. Alexander Miguel's black Geara Doga, only to have its cockpit and pilot blown away by a shot from the black Doga's beam rifle._

 _"Filthy Earthnoid," Alexander sneers, the thrill of battle and bloodlust coursing in his arteries and veins._

 _Nearby, 1Lt. Dominic Minh sees that a good number of Zeon MS have penetrated the civil defense network and are attacking Quebec Colony. Already, the colony has started to burn._

 _"Sgt. Jiminez! Cpl. Tracy! Cpl. Zhang!" Dominic snarls through the tac net, "Follow me! We've got to return to base!"_

* * *

 _Back on Quebec Colony, Sophie Minh and her children are among the thousands of terrified civilians scrambling to get to emergency shelters. They dodge explosions, fire, and falling debris._

 _To everyone's horror, the flaming wreckage of a Federal Forces civil defense MS rains down around them, followed shortly by the appearance of Zeon Geara Doga mobile suits._

 _The Dogas descend into Quebec Colony and open fire indiscriminately, lashing out at everything and everyone in sight. Hundreds die within seconds, and many more are seriously wounded. Entire families are wiped out in less time than it takes to tell about it._

 _Sophie Minh searches frantically in the chaos for her children, "Jean? Jolie?"_

 _"M-mom…" a weak, plaintive voice groans. Jean Minh has been impaled by a large piece of flying shrapnel. The boy's blood drains from a wound the width of his entire abdomen._

 _Jolie, thrown aside by a nearby explosion, but not seriously harmed, rushes to the side of her mother and her rapidly dying brother._

 _Jolie hears a sound that for the rest of her days, she will never forget...her mother's anguished screams as she desperately and helplessly holds the body of her firstborn, Jolie's brother, in her arms….the boy's life flowing quickly out of him._

 _Jolie draws the_ Minh Jian _out of its black wood and leather sheath, determined to protect her mother against any odds._

 _Suddenly, two more MS blast their way into the colony and land on each side of the Minh family._

 _On one side is Alexander Miguel's black Geara Doga, on the other side is the GM-III piloted by 1Lt. Dominic Minh._

 _Dominic notices the presence of his wife and children, and his eyes widen with horror, "Get into a shelter, now!" he urges them._

 _Dominic takes a closer look, and immediately wishes that he hadn't. Meeting his eyes is a sight that breaks his heart: his own son, Jean, lies dead in a pool of his own blood._

 _Tears flood the man's eyes, and a vicious, animalistic growl bursts forth from him as he turns his gaze back on Alexander Miguel's black mobile suit, "Zeke PIG! You goddamned ZEKE PIG! You murdered my son!"_

 _Lt. Minh's GM-III, its beam saber ignited, rushes Alexander Miguel's Geara Doga. Miguel easily avoids Minh's enraged slash, and turns around to strike the GM-III with the butt of his Doga's beam cannon._

 _Dominic's GM-III is batted onto the pavement, its sensors and control systems malfunctioning._

 _Miguel prepares to blow away the skyscraper that towers over the spot where the Minhs are crouching._

 _In a last, valiant effort, Dominic attempts to use his MS's depleted beam cannon to put a chokehold on Alexander Miguel's Geara Doga. Miguel easily counters the move, flipping the GM-III onto a nearby condominium complex._

 _Jolie watches helplessly as the black Geara Doga extracts its beam saber and pulls it back in both armored hands, hilt almost at the connection point between its head unit and the torso, and thrusts the superheated energy blade viciously and lethally through the middle of her father's GM-III, melting armor and flesh alike, but stopping short of penetrating into the Federation mobile suit's nuclear fusion reactor._

 _The Geara Doga extracts its beam saber from the now melted and blackened cockpit of the GM-III. The bluish green light of the GM-III's camera eye flickers out to black as the Federation mobile suit topples to its knees._

 _Jolie watches the trajectory of the GM-III's collapse with wide-eyed horror, screaming helplessly, "MOOOOOMMMMMMM! RUN! IT'S GONNA...!"_

 _Jolie's warning to her mother comes too late. Sophie is able to run only two steps before the mass of her husband's mobile suit falls upon her, fatally crushing her under its weight._

 _Through tear-clouded eyes, Jolie sees the shape of the black Zeon mobile suit that took her family's lives._

 _A look of hatred appears on Jolie's face, "You…!" she rages helplessly._

 _Alexander Miguel sees the little girl standing amid the burning runs of the city street. He points his mobile suit's beam rifle barrel directly at the girl, enunciating clearly through his MS's external speakers, "One last Earthnoid degenerate to cleanse from the universe."_

 _The word "degenerate" echoes through Jolie's ears. She is too young to know what the word actually means, but she senses the malice behind it. She knows that the man inside the black mobile suit hates her. She also knows that she hates him even more intensely._

 _Jolie holds the unsheathed_ Ming Jian _between herself and the black mobile suit that looms over her like a gigantic demon._

Feisty spirit _, Miguel thinks to himself with a smile,_ but what does this degenerate think she'll accomplish with that ancient weapon? Time to finish the extermination.

 _The finger of Alexander's mobile suit tightens on the trigger of its beam rifle…_

 _Without warning...the sound of more explosions! Federal Forces reinforcements have finally arrived. It is the Londo Bell Force, commanded by the legendary Captain Amuro Ray, the Earth Federation Forces' veteran hero of the One Year War and pilot of the first Gundam._

 _Like the proverbial cavalry charging over the hill, the Londo Bell Force's RGZ-91 Re-GZs and RGM-89S Jegan Customs tear into the Quebec Colony, sweeping the Neo Zeon mobile suits out._

 _A Re-GZ lands between Jolie and Alexander Miguel's Geara Doga, and a powerful Newtype PSI-energy spark momentarily erupts from Jolie's head towards the Re-GZ._

 _In the cockpit of the Federal Forces mobile suit, a reciprocal spark emanates from the pilot's helmeted head._

 _"What?" Captain Amuro Ray reacts to the power of Jolie's spark, "That psychic pressure. It's stronger than Char or Lalah, and different from both."_

 _Amuro turns his attention back to the task at hand, "Colonel Miguel, this is Captain Amuro Ray of the Earth Federation Forces. I order you to lay down your weapons and surrender immediately!"_

 _Alexander's response is to pull out his Geara Doga's beam saber and charge at Amuro's Re-GZ._

 _Amuro easily dodges the slash and responds with a beam saber slash of his own, severing the arm of Miguel's Doga with a single, spectacular move._

 _Alexander decides to cut his losses and run. Despite his ego and remarkable MS piloting skill, Alexander is canny enough to realize that he would be a fool to challenge Amuro Ray in single combat._

 _"Retreat!" Alexander orders his troops as he lays down a volley of blinding flares and smoke bombs to cover his escape._

 _Captain Amuro leaves it to his comrades in the Londo Bell Force to pursue Miguel and the retreating Phobos forces. He is more concerned about the little girl whose Newtype spark he sensed moments earlier._

 _Amuro climbs out of the cockpit of the Re-GZ and removes his helmet. Jolie, seeing him for the first time, envisions Amuro as a knight in shining silver armor._

 _Amuro approaches the frightened girl gently, a friendly smile on his face, "All you all right, kid?"_

 _Jolie, still carrying the Minh Jian (now resheathed into its wood and leather case) runs into Amuro's arms, sobbing. Amuro holds the girl tightly and tries to console her._

We came too late _, Amuro reflects sadly,_ this girl survived, but her life will never be the same _._

* * *

 _A few hours later, Amuro takes Jolie by the hand to an Earth Federation Government war orphans' welfare center, an agency that the Earth Federation Government organized to provide care for children orphaned by the war. Sadly, during the past quarter century, this particular government agency has grown out of necessity almost larger than the military itself._

 _Amuro is reluctant to turn Jolie over to the Federal government authorities. Were he a civilian, he would seriously consider adopting Jolie himself. As a soldier whose duty is to hunt down Zeon terrorists, however, he cannot provide care for the girl, and has no choice but to leave to the Federation government._

 _Jolie clutches desperately at the sleeve of Amuro's uniform jacket, "Captain Amuro, I don't want to stay here! Please take me with you! I want to go with you!"_

 _Amuro kneels in front of the girl and puts his hands on her shoulders, "Jolie, you can't come with me, but the people here are very kind and they'll take good care of you. There are many people out there who need my protection. As much as I'd like to, I can't bring you with me. But...HARO!"_

 _At Amuro's summoning, a green mechanical ball with red LED eyes rolls into view. Jolie recognizes it._

" _That's…" Jolie begins._

" _The original Haro," Amuro confirms, lifting the mechanical ball into his gloved hands._

" _Amuro! Amuro!" Haro calls out in its squeaky mechanical voice._

" _Haro" Amuro tells the spherical robot, "this girl's name is Jolie. You will follow her from now on. Serve her as you've always served me, do you understand?"_

 _Haro scans Jolie with its LED eyes, rolls around in Amuro's hands, and answers, "Haro will serve Jolie! Jolie!"_

 _With that, Amuro hands Haro over to Jolie, gives the girl an affectionate kiss on the cheek and a pat on the head, and then turns to leave._

 _Jolie watches the Federation's greatest ace pilot depart to continue his duties. This man would always be her hero, though she suspects that she will never see him again._

I can't stay here, _Jolie resolves_ , I can't stay here!

 _Jolie considers Haro in her hands, "Haro, you and I have to get out of here!"_

" _Out of here! Out of here! Out of here with Jolie!" Haro chirps cheerfully._

 _Slipping easily away from the harried, inattentive shelter officials, Jolie runs into the streets of the colony, heading towards the spaceport, Haro rolling alongside her, her family's heirloom weapon still in her hand._

* * *

 _One hour later, Jolie and Haro are at the spaceport. She watches as a team of workers loads a freighter bearing scrap. Jolie has no idea where the freighter is headed...nor does she care as long as it takes her away from here._

 _The captain of the freighter presently boards, announcing, "All right, crew...prepare for departure to Industria Colony."_

" _C'mon, Haro," Jolie tells her spheroid companion, "This is our chance!"_

 _Taking Haro into her arms, Jolie uses her quickness and diminutive size to slip aboard the freighter through the cargo door, not knowing nor caring where Industria Colony is. The Minh Jian being too heavy to carry in her hand for long, she has mounted it on her back in a self-devised sling._

* * *

A long, awkward silence follows the conclusion of Jolie's story of her past. A look at the glistening moisture in Jolie's eyes makes Athena sorry she brought the subject up. Even Haro has extended its mechanical arms and covers the top of itself as if sharing Jolie's grief.

Jolie's fresh, cherubic face changes its expression, and she suddenly says, "'Scuse me," removing her boots and leaping barefoot up onto the red MS-05S Zaku I Athena had noticed when she first came into the junkyard.

 _Could that be Char's old Zaku?_ Athena wonders. _It must be. It looks exactly as Char's first mobile suit would have looked. Maybe I can ask Jolie or go check out its decal markings myself later…_

Athena watches as Jolie scales the mobile suit's shell, the girl's long, shapely legs moving gracefully beneath her as she reaches the mobile suit's cockpit, its pilot seat seemingly removed, but its control yoke still in place.

 _She's like a cat_ , Athena muses.

Athena imagines that Jolie has gone up to the Zaku cockpit to perform some maintenance task, or perhaps even power it up for some purpose, when to Athena's horror and disgust, Jolie drops her impossibly short Daisy Dukes shorts and squats low and deep in a classic "Asian squat" over the cavity where the mobile suit's pilot seat was once installed.

Without any hint of embarrassment or self-consciousness, Jolie clutches the deactivated control yoke tightly for balance, inhales deeply and then, plainly from her facial expression and the grunting noise she makes, bears down hard.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Athena demands, uncharacteristically losing her cool demeanor.

Jolie, takes a deep breath and strains again, "Unnngh...what...does it...look nngh...like...I'm….nnnngh...doing?!"

Athena yells angrily, "You're DEFILING it!"

Between pants and grunts, Jolie answers, "Yeah….and so what? This mobile suit...was….nnngh...Char Aznable's….nngh...shit...got to hijack fruit and veggie truck next time...fish diet...is making me...so...nnngh...constipated...nnnngh...so big...so hard...nnngh!"

 _It is Colonel Char's mobile suit!_ Athena blinks in disbelief, and then her anger returns, "I can't believe you're using it as a latrine!"

Jolie continues to strain, "You see….nnngh….any working plumbing here? You're going to be pissing and shitting in here too….nnngh….for the next few days...if we….nnnngh...don't find this military hardware….nnnngh...you're looking for."

Punctuating her strenuous grunts with a final, short scream, Jolie lets out a sigh of relief and pants for a minute before using a roll of tissue she keeps on the floor of the cockpit to clean herself. She pulls on her extremely brief denim blue shorts as she stands, jumps out of the cockpit, and lands on the ground lightly after a series of graceful midair somersaults.

Impressed by Jolie's acrobatic feats, but not letting on, Athena turns away from the girl, remarking acidly, "Disgusting."

"Hey!" Jolie retorts, "Zekes like Char and Miguel are all filthy murderers, right? They deserve to get shit on!"

"Then what about that OTHER one?" Athena demands, indicating the green, gold-trimmed Zaku.

Jolie's eyes widen as if in sudden terror, "That thing?! You'd better stay away from that if you know what's good for you!"

"What do you mean?" Athena asks, perplexed.

Jolie responds after a long pause, "I think that suit is haunted."

"Haunted," Athena cannot believe her ears, "It's almost the Second Universal Century, and you're not a preteen child. You still believe in nonsense like ghosts?"

"It's HAUNTED," Jolie insists, "Trust me: there's bad, bad mojo in that MS. Whoever piloted that thing must have been some kind of demon."

Athena bites her lip and says nothing more.

"We'd better call it a night," Jolie stretches and yawns, "If we're gonna go see Freddy tomorrow. STILL don't know what the hell you need an MS for."

So saying, Jolie leads the way into the small sheet metal shack she uses as a shelter. It is just wide enough to fit two Jolies….or a Jolie and an Athena. A single, mangled tarp on the floor serves as a makeshift "mattress."

"Get comfy," Jolie says, lying down on the pallet, as Haro rolls into the shack and shuts off its LED "eyes," powering down into "sleep" mode.

Athena takes off her flat cap and lies down next to Jolie. It's a tight fit...and kind of awkward, bringing the two young women as close together as if they were lovers.

"So now what's YOUR story?" Jolie inquires, repeating the question that Athena had asked her a few hours earlier, "You know mine. How'd you end up in investigative reporting? And what the hell is so worth investigating about this dump?"

"It's a long story," Athena answers noncommittally.

"Hey! I told you my whole story!" Jolie retorts, "It's only fair that you tell me yours!"

Athena rolls over to face Jolie, "If I told you I'm a princess, would you believe me?"

Jolie grins, "Princess? In this day and age?"

Athena responds, "Hey...you're the one who thinks ghosts are real!"

Jolie answers, "Fine, fine. If there were still princesses in the world, yeah...I could almost believe you were one."

Athena turns away from Jolie as she says, "I share a birthday with a princess."

"Who?" Jolie demands, interested in the game now.

"Guess," Athena teases.

"Snow White! Cinderella! Princess Jasmine! Ariel!" Jolie volunteers.

Athena rolls her eyes, "A REAL world princess."

"You can't mean," Jolie says after thinking on it, "Mineva Zabi...the Duchess of Zeon?"

Athena nods, "I was born on the same day she was...same year, and time... down to the exact second."

Jolie blinks, "Wow. Freaky!"

Athena changes the subject, "So this 'evil spirit' you say you see in the green Zaku…"

Jolie covers her face with her hands, "Oh, God! Could we NOT talk about that?! It freaks me out!"

Athena insists, "But what is it exactly that you see?"

Jolie answers sleepily, "It's not 'seeing' it, exactly. More like an impression...a big bat thingy."

"Bat...thing?" Athena inquires, but Jolie's stillness and lack of a response indicate that the younger girl has already fallen asleep.

Responding to sisterly instincts that she is hardly aware that she has, Athena removes her jacket and uses it to cover the sleeping Jolie, whose crop top and excessively short Daisy Dukes leave the girl more naked than dressed.

Athena lies on the tarp for minutes, unable to sleep, listening to the soft breathing of Jolie lying next to her.

 _That Newtype aura_ , Athena reflects upon the teenager sleeping adjacent to her, _it's so incredibly robust...like an ocean of energy. I must recruit this girl for the Centurion Team. She'd be an extremely dangerous threat under the wrong guidance._

* * *

An hour passes...two. Still unable to sleep, Athena rises, puts on her boots, and walks out of the shack into the salvage yard. Noticing Athena's departure, Haro's LED eyes momentarily light up, but the robot quickly loses interest and powers down to sleep mode again.

Athena looks up at the green Zaku II with the head crest and spiked armor on both (as opposed to only left) shoulders, its chest, arms, and legs marked with a distinctive gold livery and dressing. Whatever Jolie might believe about "ghosts," Athena feels...drawn to the mobile suit.

A sudden...nostalgic sensation washes over Athena.

 _Father…?_

Athena climbs up to the open cockpit of the green Zaku, which thankfully, Jolie has not converted into another toilet. She drops into the pilot's seat, and glances over a control dashboard that has been unoperational for years.

A feeling of warmth and security that Athena...Mineva, has not known since infancy envelops her. For the first time in memory, Mineva feels at peace.

From the mist of her mind...a familiar, slender feminine figure appears.

 _Mother?_

Lady Zenna Zabi, Athena's mother, assumes a form that Athena can almost...wishes she could touch…

"Mother…" Athena whispers in a trembling voice.

"Mineva, my dear child, Mineva…" the shade says kindly and tenderly.

A second form, masculine and hulking, appears at Lady Zenna's side...Athena recognizes him as her father, Prince Dozle Zabi.

Dozle remarks kindly, "You are not usually so reticent, my Mineva."

"This...this can't be real," Athena says, "This is a dream...an illusion."

The images of Dozle and Zenna flicker for a moment, as if in response to Athena's doubts.

"No!" Athena calls out, "Don't leave yet! I need to know…!"

"Mineva," Dozle says warmly, "Whether life is long or short, you must know one thing…"

"What is it, Father?" Athena...Mineva asks.

"Those who serve you must also be served," Dozle replies, "As a leader, you must always remember this. The welfare of those who follow you must be your ultimate priority."

"I wear the colors of your enemies," Athena says, "do you find it a disgrace?"

Zenna answers, "That is the wrong question to ask, my daughter. Perhaps you should first ask why you joined in the first place."

"Mother, Father...I…" Athena begins.

"Farewell, my dear Mineva," Dozle says, as he and his beloved wife vanish into the ether.

Athena bolts awake, hyperventilating. She tries switching on the cockpit's internal lighting. Not surprisingly, the lighting does not work.

Athena draws a cigarette from her pocket, inserts it between her teeth, and lights up. She closes her eyes...attempting to banish the shades from her head.

* * *

Back inside the shack, Jolie also dreams...seeing a recurring vision of a handsome, dark-haired young man with soulful eyes, a paintbrush in his hand, painting a portrait of Jolie herself. She has seen him only in dreams, but feels that she has known him forever...

He turns to look at her with a smile...a veritable prince out of fairy tales….her personal "Prince Charming," come to take her far, far away from this place...to adventure among the stars…

Hours later, as Industria Colony's lighting feebly brightens to "daylight" mode (the artificial daylight at Industria has not been much more than a perpetual twilight for years), Jolie awakens, finding Athena's jacket on top of her, but no Athena in the space next to her. Haro too has apparently rolled out early to lose itself among the debris of the salvage yard.

"Th' fuck she go?" Jolie murmurs to herself, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Jolie rises and rushes barefoot into the salvage yard, where she finds Athena smoking a cigarette while heating up the coffee pot.

"Where'd you go last night?" Jolie demands.

"Nowhere," Athena says, pouring two cups of coffee from the pot, "I just got up earlier than you did. Would have been unnecessarily cruel to wake you too early."

Jolie gives Athena an odd look, but crouches next to her and accepts a cup of coffee and a cigarette from the other young woman. Jolie sips, surprised and delighted that the coffee tastes much better than her own brew.

"So," Athena begins, "after breakfast, you take me to see this junk dealer named Freddy."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on, 'Drey," Jolie responds irritably, but then adds, "thanks for the jacket last night."

Athena smiles, sipping from her own cup of coffee, wondering whether right now would be a good point to come clean with Jolie about the whole "Audrey Burne" cover identity and her real purpose for coming to Industria Colony.

Before Athena can raise the subject, however, Jolie pipes up, "I keep having this recurring dream."

"Nightmare?" Athena asks.

"No, no," Jolie answers, "I see this boy...about my age. He's really cute, and he's a painter. I think he's real, and he's out there somewhere. I think he's supposed to be somebody special in my life."

"Fantasy boyfriend?" Athena remarks with a mischievous grin.

"I'm SERIOUS," Jolie insists, "I think we're supposed to meet."

"Not around here," Athena responds, glancing around at Industria's dreary atmosphere, "anyway, I want to tell…"

Athena trails off...she sees that Jolie is no longer listening. Her heart and mind are focused on something...perhaps someone, millions of kilometers away…

* * *

At that moment, the _Garancieres_ pulls into the airspace of Frontier 8, approaching and waiting for permission to dock at the colony.

Jonah Miguel, now calling himself "Jonah Michaels," struggling teenaged painter, political refugee, and newly recruited junior orderly aboard the _Garancieres_ , approaches one of the various heads (restrooms, for those unacquainted with nautical terminology) on the third deck of the ship.

Jonah enters the head, mop, bucket of soapy water, sponges, and cleaning rags at the ready, as if they were the brushes and paints that he longs for.

A red-haired female figure bursts out of the one of the toilet stalls, shocked and appalled to see him standing there.

Jonah, for his part, reacts with equal surprise, gaping and stupefied as his eyes fall about 1Lt. Marida Cruz, pulling up her trousers.

"You!" Marida raises, blushing, "you PERVERT!"

Jonah, attempting to stammer an apology, finds his neck in the grip of Marida's right hand.

"S-s-sorry, ma'am," Jonah finally chokes out, "I-I came in to clean the head. I-I didn't realize…!"

Marida pins Jonah against the wall of the head, "Look, Michaels! I still have no idea who you are and what you're doing here, or why the Captain decided to let you stay instead of just dropping you off in the middle of the Asteroid Belt, which is what I would have preferred! You'd better watch yourself, or _kkkkkkkkkkk_!"

So saying, Marida draws the edge of her right hand across her throat to let Jonah know that she means business.

Jonah gulps, "U-understood, ma'am. I won't let it happen again!"

Marida relents, releasing her grip on Jonah.

Before she leaves the head, she turns to him and draws her hand across her throat one more time.

After she leaves, Jonah wipes his forehead with the back of his hand and mutters to himself, "I wonder if I'm going to live to see the Earth Sphere…"

* * *

On the bridge of the _Garancieres_ , Captain Zinnerman finally receives clearance to dock his vessel by the Frontier 8 Port Authority.

Captain Zinnerman thanks the port official, but has the curiosity to inquire, "Why the long delay today? We usually clear landing authority within thirty minutes, but today, it took over two hours."

"Very sorry, Captain Zinnerman," the port authority official replies, "We need to exercise extreme caution. We have had difficulties with...Zeon insurgents, lately."

"All the way out here?" Zinnerman says, incredulous, "Frontier 8 is an Earth Federation Forces garrison. Difficult to believe that the Zeon Forces would have such temerity."

The port official answers, "They've become increasingly brazen in recent months. In fact, Captain, for the safety of your ship and your crew, we advise that you do not linger at Frontier 8 longer than necessary."

"So noted," Captain Zinnerman acknowledges, "Thank you. Zinnerman, out."

* * *

"Industria Iced Tea!" announces the surly server at Danielle's Diner, a greasy spoon in the bowels of Industria Town, all but THROWING the drink on the filthy, unwiped table.

Athena dares a sip; to her disbelief, the brew is even more foul than Jolie's coffee, with a taste that approximates that of turpentine.

"Freddy probably won't be back until some time in the afternoon," Jolie tells Athena, as she finishes a plate of watery scrambled eggs, "but he likes to have lunch here whenever he returns from a trip. We can wait for him here until he shows."

"Fine," Athena answers.

Jolie looks questioningly at Athena's untouched plate of food...a few slices of burnt toast (likely to hide the mold) and more watery scrambled eggs. Athena, who seems to have no appetite, gladly hands her plate over to Jolie.

"You know," Jolie says, biting into the toast, "I still don't get how you need a mobile suit to write an expose about life here at Industria. If you want a story on that, I could give you an interview."

Athena decides it's time to come clean, both for convenience and because she is growing increasingly uncomfortable deceiving the earnest and big-hearted Jolie.

Athena pulls Jolie close and whispers to her, "Look, I need to level with you. My name isn't Audrey Burne, and I'm not a journalist. I'm 1Lt. Athena Ibaz, and I'm the junior officer of the Centurion Team of the Earth Federation Special Forces. My commanding officer and I are at Industria to investigate the theft of a critical piece of military hardware."

Jolie, chewing her food as she listens to what Athena tells her, digests what she has heard and breaks out in a grin, pointing at Athena and declaring, "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!"

Athena puts her hand over Jolie's mouth and whispers harshly, "Shhhhhhhhh! Damn it, Minh...this is top secret business!"

Jolie whispers back, "You know, Freddy is a crook...everybody at Industria knows it. Still, top secret military hardware? Holy shit! I had no idea…"

Athena answers, "I doubt your 'Freddy' is that well connected myself, but the turncoat who stole the prototype might be looking for a buyer...or at least a middleman who can find him a buyer. Freddy seems to fit the bill."

Jolie nods, "Yeah...yeah, you're right. Freddy does trade in small arms stuff, but...what kind of 'military hardware' are we talking about?"

Athena considers carefully before putting her trust in Jolie, "A Gundam prototype."

Jolie's eyes widen, "Gundam…"

Athena affirms, "Very powerful, and very dangerous. A rogue officer named Kissingham hijacked it from Side 7 Revil Base a few days ago during a demo test."

Jolie polishes off the last of the food, and drinks the rest of Athena's Industria Iced Tea.

"What day is today?" Jolie asks casually.

Caught off guard by the incongruous triviality of the question, Athena answers simply, "It's Sunday."

"OH MY GOD!" Jolie responds, loudly enough to draw the entire diner's attention, "I've got to go to church!"

"Church?" Athena repeats, incredulously.

"Church," Jolie says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "I don't want to miss Sunday mass, ESPECIALLY if I'm going to be doing something suicidally dangerous with you later!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Athena and Jolie are at the Industria Colony congregation of the Holy Order of St. Monica, Mother of Mercy. The church building, one of the oldest and finest in the otherwise bleak environment of Industria Colony, opens its doors to its few parishioners.

Jolie, attired entirely inappropriately for worship in her outrageously short shorts and crop top, nevertheless prays faithfully on her knees at one of the pews. Athena, an atheist at this point of her life, nevertheless kneels beside her and pretends to pray out of respect.

As Jolie crosses herself after her eighth Hail Mary, Athena looks up to see, not God or an angel, but Col. Jack Spencer.

Jolie opens her eyes and sees the veteran officer, "Who the hell is that?"

Athena answers, "St. Peter."

"Didn't know you were a believer, Lieutenant," Jack says by way of greeting.

"I'm not," Athena answers, "You found me sooner than I thought you would."

"I'd like to take credit," Jack tells her, "but it's pure luck that you ended up coming here, of all places. Saves me the trouble of having to find you, for sure."

"Friend of yours?" Jolie pipes up, indicating Jack.

"You could say that," Athena replies.

Jolie extends her hand to Jack Spencer, "Jolie Minh! Pleased to meetcha!"

Jack shakes the girl's hand, gruffly excuses himself, and pulls Athena aside, whispering to the young Earth Federation Forces officer, "Who's this kid and how did you find her?"

Athena whispers back, "As you said a moment ago...pure luck. I think she can help us."

Jack replies, "She's a Newtype. REALLY powerful one. I don't think I've ever encountered anybody with that level potential before."

Athena nods, "I know. Look, she's in on it already, so we're going to have to include her in the plan. Like I said, she can help us. She knows some local junk dealer named 'Freddy' who trades in illegal armaments, and he might have a lead on Kissingham and the prototype."

Jack silently agrees and turns to Jolie, "Minh...how would you like to help take down a traitor and take back a Gundam for the Earth Federation?"

Jolie punches the open palm of her left hand with the fist of her right and answers enthusiastically, "I'm game! But what do you want me to do?"

"Same thing Athena asked you to do: get us in contact with this junk dealer named 'Freddy.' You help us locate the man, and he'll take us to that traitor Kissingham and the Gundam-100 prototype."

* * *

The _Garancieres_ docks at Frontier 8 without incident. Captain Zinnerman has ordered a 12-hour shore leave for the crew, and they are free to do as they please, granted they do not violate any laws or return to the ship addled with drink or drugs.

Jonah has had an opportunity to do a little research about Frontier 8 during his downtime, and he has learned that the colony features an art gallery or two that he is interested in visiting. Additionally, it would be an opportunity for him to buy some art supplies. He left Phobos with very little cash, but Captain Zinnerman has generously paid him a reasonable stipend.

A small fleet of jeeps awaits to transport the crew of the ship from the docks into town. As Jonah climbs into one of the waiting jeeps along with a few fellow support crewmen, he spots Marida Cruz and Loni Garvey in another jeep nearby. Without intending to, Jonah catches Marida's eye, and the fiery MS pilot draws her hand across her neck in a slashing motion once again as she spots him, causing Jonah to gulp involuntarily.

The jeeps cover the distance between the port and the residential and commercial districts of Alamos City.

Los Alamos Colony is the 44th colony of Frontier 8, a combination of military training and testing center and residential zone. Modeled after the desert environment of New Mexico, North America on Earth, Los Alamos is home to over 150,000 space colonists according to the census of UC 0090. The bulk of the colony's inhabitants are Earth Federation Forces personnel, both active duty and reserve, both combat and support services. The only civilians present are the spouses and children of the enlisted personnel and officers assigned to Los Alamos. As the Frontier 8 colony farthest out from the core clusters, Los Alamos also serves as a fortified security choke point against hostiles, projecting its own I-field barrier to protect itself and the rest of the Frontier 8 colonies from stray beam shots by Zeon weaponry.

The fleet of jeeps stops at the town square at the center of Alamos City. Marida and Loni alight from their vehicle, and Marida sets eyes upon her mirror image.

"LEE!" Marida calls out to a young woman who appears to be her twin.

Her twin, but for her comparatively conservative dress of turtleneck sweater, knee-length skirt, and glasses that give Leontine Cruz, Marida's sister, a bookish appearance reminiscent of a librarian.

"MARI!" Lee breaks out in a mad grin upon spotting her sister, waving her hand wildly.

The sisters embrace, greeting each other simultaneously with a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" that causes both of them to laugh.

"You remember Loni," Marida says, indicating the partner never far from her side.

"Of course," Lee replies, embracing Loni, "you two going to start giving me nieces and nephews any time soon?"

Loni blushes sheepishly, and Marida answers for her, "When we do, you'll be running a daycare out of your apartment."

"I baked a cake," Lee tells them, "Why don't we…?"

Lee trails off as she spots a handsome, but evidently extremely nervous young man staring at them...seemingly horrified by...something.

 _There….are...TWO of them!_ Jonah thinks to himself, his eyes dilating and his mouth agape.

"Michaels," Marida begins muttering under her breath.

"Who is he?" Lee asks.

"A nuisance," Marida answers, staring daggers at Jonah.

"I think he seems rather nice," Lee says, extending her hand to him, "Leontine Cruz. People call me 'Lee.' I'm Marida's sister. You're…?"

"J-J-Jonah Michaels," Jonah barely gets out, "I-I'm from Phobos."

"Want to join us for cake, Jonah?" Lee asks, "It's both Marida's and my birthdays."

Before Jonah can stammer out a response, Marida, seeing that Lee isn't going to be dissuaded, grabs Jonah by the hair and begins pulling him towards Lee's waiting vehicle, "Oh, for crying out...just COME, Michaels!"

The quartet boards Lee's jeep and speeds away.

* * *

Back at the Holy Order of Saint Monica, Mother of Mercy's church at Industria Colony, Athena grabs Jolie by the arm and pulls her into a confessional booth, closing the door behind them.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Jolie complains, "I know I've committed my share of sins, but you're sure as hell no ordained minister,'Thena!"

"Shut up," Athena whispers, "I only want you to confess one thing: have you ever killed anyone before?"

Jolie considers the question for a brief moment, and then whispers back, "Well, yeah, but…"

"So you're prepared to kill again if necessary?" Athena continues.

Jolie repeats, "Yeah, but…"

Athena hands Jolie an object taken from the inner pocket of her jacket...a regulation Earth Federation Forces automatic pistol, a distant descendant of the Browning High Power 9mm - standard issue for officers.

"Hang on to that," Athena says, "You'll likely need it."

"Hoo hoo," Jolie exhales, eyeing the gun in her hand, releasing the safety, and aiming it towards the door of the confessional booth, her finger beginning to tense on the trigger.

Athena pushes the muzzle down, her eyes furious as she whispers harshly, "Put that away! What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"You're the one who gave it to me!" Jolie protests.

Athena sighs; this Jolie Minh might be gifted, but she also comes with serious impulse-control issues.

* * *

At Phobos Colony, General Alexander Miguel is engaged in fencing practice with 1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi when they are interrupted by Col. Roth Davenport. Alexander knows that Roth would not interrupt his practice unless the matter were of extreme urgency.

"Sir," Col. Davenport salutes, "You have a call from our 'Friends Out West; highly urgent.'"

"We'll continue later," Alexander tells Kyoko, kissing her on the cheek.

Kyoko takes Alexander's rapier as he stalks away with Col. Davenport.

Ten minutes later, they are in Alexander's capacious private office. A secure line is connected.

The Earth Federation Space Armada's Admiral Manron Blackhead appears on the video screen, "General Miguel."

"Admiral Blackhead," Alexander responds, "Roth tells me you encountered...some difficulties."

Blackhead chuckles nervously, "I'll say we did. General Miguel, I'm very sorry...but the prototype cannot be delivered to you at this time. The pilot whom we hired, Kissingham, went rogue on us. But do not worry, General! My personnel are…!"

"Failure has its consequences, Admiral Blackhead," Miguel answers coolly, steepling his strong, but elegant hands, "as a supposed military leader yourself, you should understand that principle well."

Admiral Blackhead gulps and replies, "Rest assured that the prototype will be…"

Miguel shuts down the communication line; it is not his habit to waste time with fools.

"Roth," Alexander says coldly to his loyal adjutant.

"Sir," the ever faithful Davenport answers.

"Prepare to mobilize an attack squadron. I want for 1Lt. Yamaguchi to deploy in the AMX-88 Elmeth Gamma Prototype. Pass the word down the chain of command, Colonel."

"At once, sir," Roth replies, "but the Elmeth Gamma isn't complete yet, sir."

"I'm well aware of that," Alexander responds patiently, "It is, however, combat ready. I do not expect that our forces will encounter very robust resistance. With Lt. Yamaguchi's skills, it will be more than adequate."

* * *

At Lee's apartment in the suburbs of Alamos City, Lee introduces Jonah to her fiance, Mondo Agake. Jonah finds himself taking a great liking to Lee's diminutive, dark-skinned, good-humored, and talkative boyfriend. The young artist, however, cannot help but feel that he has seen Mondo somewhere, but decides not to mention it.

 _This cake is better than anything our pastry chef at the manor has ever made_ , Jonah thinks as he takes another delectable bite from Leontine Cruz's lemon cake, _and the manor's pastry chef is GREAT!_

"Some tea, Jonah?" Lee offers the teapot.

Had it been Marida, Jonah would have suspected that she intended to scald him with the boiling liquid, but as Marida is sitting across the room eating her own slice of cake (though still staring daggers at him), Jonah graciously accepts.

The doorbell rings, and Lee excuses herself to answer the door.

A group of exuberant young people, all in their mid- to late-twenties, rushes in, bearing gifts, smiles, and best wishes for Lee and Marida. Among them are three young men and three young women, and once again, Jonah is assailed by a sense of deja vu that he simply cannot place. He has never met these people, and yet…

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARI AND LEE!" they chorus happily, plying the sisters with gifts and flowers.

The guests are evidently familiar with Marida and Leontine, but they cannot help but notice the young stranger in their midst.

"This is Jonah Michaels from Phobos," Lee says, "Jonah, these are my friends: Judau Ashta, Roux Louka, Judau's sister Leina, Beecha Oleg, Elle Vianno, and Iino Abbav."

Jonah chokes as the realization finally dawns on him, "Wait! I KNOW YOU PEOPLE! You were all in a photo in my textbook when I took Zeon history in high school last year!"

Leina Ashta begins ushering Elle Vianno, who is evidently pregnant, into the adjoining room, saying, "You'd better sit this out, Elle."

"Not without me," Beecha pipes up, following them.

Meanwhile, a piece of cake is lodged between Jonah's esophagus and pharynx, and the handsome young painter's eyes cross as he begins to asphyxiate.

"Jesus Christ," Marida swears under her breath as she whacks Jonah on his back, between his shoulders, HARD. Jonah spits out the piece of cake and begins breathing again.

Lee helps Jonah to sip some of the tea.

"So what's your story, Jonah?" asks, her curiosity unrelenting.

Jonah sips his tea nervously, "I'm an artist...a painter."

"So he keeps telling us," Marida interjects acidly.

"Ignore her," Lee says, "What do you paint?"

"A variety of subjects," Jonah answers, "Personal portraits, but also landscapes and abstract forms. Lately, I've been…"

"You're a Newtype," Judau Ashta suddenly interjects.

"Excuse me, what…?" Jonah begins tentatively.

"Explains why I've been sensing such a powerful Newtype presence in the past few days. So it's you!"

Judau's comments alarm his wife, Roux Louka, who demands, "Just who are you, exactly?!"

"Um, I…" Jonah begins trying to explain.

The sharp shriek of a raid siren cuts him off.

"RAID WARNING! RAID WARNING! TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!"

Upon hearing this announcement, Leontine rises and whips her glasses off as a look of excitement flashes in her eyes. "It really is my birthday, because I get to take my new machine out for a proper field test."

"New machine?" Marida asks.

"You'll know it when you see it," Lee says teasingly. She stops at the doorway when she remembers that both Marida and Loni are capable pilots.

"Can I count on the both of you to aid us?" she asks.

"It would be foolish not to since our lives are at risk as well," Marida states logically, "We're more than happy to help."

* * *

Back at Industria Colony, Col. Jack Spencer has joined Athena and Jolie at the junkyard. He stares up at the towering form of Char Aznable's MS-05S Zaku I Officer Custom, which is a total loss and biohazard (after having served as Jolie's personal toilet for years) and would not have provided sufficient power for their needs even if it were salvageable, but notices…

"This is Prince Dozle Zabi's customized Zaku II," Jack says, recognizing the distinctly painted unit.

"Most likely," Athena says noncommittally, not wanting to draw too much scrutiny from Jolie, skulking about nearby.

Jack nods, "It's not too far gone. I can get it functional in a few hours, as long as you're not asking too much."

Jack spots Jolie's Muttmech mobile suit crouched nearby.

"...the hell is that?" Jack inquires.

"Muttmech!" Jolie proclaims proudly, "Built it myself!"

"Pretty good use of limited resources," Jack remarks, "but the end result leaves something to be desired."

"Hey!" Jolie complains, clearly offended.

"The United Maintenance Plan changed everything about mobile suit production," Jack continues, "by making all the parts produced for each unit interchangeable, Zeon not only streamlined the production of mobile suits, but improved their overall performance and made repairs significantly easier."

"I'll go up into the green Zaku and see what's up with the cockpit's electrical systems," Athena offers, "at the very least, enough to boot up the onboard diagnostic computer."

"You do that, Ibaz," Jack nods.

As Athena disappears into the cockpit of the Zaku, Jack looks around the salvage yard, making a mental assessment of its inventory relative to his needs…and beyond.

After a minute, he asks Jolie, "Are you open for business today?"

Jolie perks up in surprise, "Me? Oh, yeah!"

Jack grabs a rusty old shopping cart that Jolie appropriated from a long-closed supermarket and begins filling it with assorted wiring and cogs that he digs out of the pile.

 _Is he serious?_ Jolie wonders, _I could eat for weeks if he buys some of the gear he's piling into that cart!_

Jack picks up a particular jet-black component from the pile. He blows the dust off of it and examines it carefully before asking Jolie, "How much are you selling this for?"

Jolie looks at the component in Jack's hand, not having the foggiest idea what it is, "Um. You can have it for ten Federation credits, same as all the other lightweight stuff you can pick up by hand."

"Ten credits, eh?" muses Jack, stroking his chin.

"Special for you, as Athena's commanding officer," Jolie says, "If it were anybody else, I'd charge at least twenty!"

"Deal," Jack says, putting the component with the rest in the shopping cart and pulling out the cash needed to pay the girl.

"That green Zaku is haunted," Jolie sees fit to mention.

"Haunted, eh?" Jack repeats casually.

"I'm telling you, ghosts are real!" Jolie insists.

"Not saying they aren't," Jack replies, wheeling the cart towards Dozle Zabi's Zaku, just as Athena emerges from the cockpit.

He then picks up the same jet-black component he asked her about before and asks "You know how much this is worth on the black market?"

Jolie looks curiously at the component in Jack's hand. It appears nondescript to her eyes.

"Couldn't be more than fifty credits brand new," Jolie says, "It's just some electronic thingamajiggy."

Jack grins as he says, "Try ten grand in its current condition."

Jolie's eyes widen, momentarily reminding Jack of his own daughter, Penelope when she is surprised, "You're KIDDING! That piece of garbage is worth ten grand?! You're shitting me, Spencer!"

"I'm a mechanic by trade, Minh," he replies, "and a soldier by necessity… I know what these things are worth because it pays for me to know… but I'm gonna make it up to you. After we deal with Kissingham, I'll give 500,000 in cash for the entire lot, with the exclusion of Dozle's Zaku."

"FIVE-HUNDRED GRAND?!" Jolie gapes, pulling on the ends of her long, jet-black hair with both hands, "Holy shit, Spencer! Do you own an asteroid mine or something?! You sure as hell don't make that much as an officer for the Earth Federation Forces!"

"Because I'm not," he replies, "I retired after the One Year War… I'm just an old soldier who is concerned about the public safety because a rogue Gundam is extremely dangerous."

"Yeah right," Jolie agrees, "Look, with the three of us, we can take this 'Kiss a Ham' guy out, no problem!"

"Glad to hear it."

Athena pokes her head out of the Zaku's cockpit, and she is immediately accosted by Jolie, who acrobatically makes the ascent like a cat ascending a tree.

"'THENA! 'THENA! I'M RICH! RICH!" Jolie declares gleefully.

"Rich?" Athena asks.

"Spencer is buying my inventory for 500 GRAND!" Jolie whoops.

Athena turns to Jack, "Colonel Spencer?"

"I'll pay her after Kissingham has been dealt with," he replies, "And I'm probably gonna make a serious profit flipping the lot because I know what everything here is worth."

"I think with a new battery and some cables that haven't been chewed up, we can get the diagnostic computer booted up," Athena tells Jack.

"Right," Jack answers, "I have what we need to take care of that right here."

* * *

Frederick George, known simply as "Freddy" by the scrappers of Industria Colony, is the sole proprietor of Freddy's Salvage Liquidators. Officially, publicly, in the light-of-day, Freddy buys and sells a wide range of industrial and mechanical salvage - ranging from wristwatches and toasters on one end to entire cargo freighters on the other. A popular saying, which Freddy has gone as far as to adopt as an advertising slogan, is that "if you can't buy or sell it at Freddy's, you're not going to buy or sell it."

Freddy founded his eponymous salvage company in UC 0069, when Freddy was just twenty-two years old. In the years since, Freddy's business has expanded into perhaps the largest junker operation in the entire Earth Sphere. Freddy guarantees nothing: all sales are final, and if the merchandise doesn't work right, don't forget what you paid for it. With such sterling business ethics, little wonder that Freddy has accumulated a fortune vast enough to afford him luxurious homes and fancy automobiles far, far away from Industria Colony…

Whispers have persisted through the years, however, that Freddy is worth much more than his "respectable" shop located a stone's throw from the old, abandoned Earth Federation Forces station at Industria. Freddy laughs at any insinuation that he deals in illegal armaments. Guns? The occasional handgun or hunting rifle, maybe. Heavy ordnance capable of easily leveling a city block? Good God, no way! Mobile suits? Get out of here!

That's why no one should find it odd that this afternoon finds Freddy, newly arrived from his resort home on the Hawaiian Islands on Earth, visiting the abandoned Federation station at Industria. Still...a business connection here? At this most desolate of places?

Freddy bites off the end of a Havana cigar, purchased not long ago on a recent trip to the island of Cuba. He sniffs its pungent tobacco scent before inserting the fat stogie into his mouth and lighting it. He checks his pocket watch, an expensive one that he purchased in London, England some years ago.

A tall, somewhat disheveled looking man who has not shaven or bathed in many days approaches. Dressed in a trenchcoat that conceals what appears to be an Earth Federation Forces' officers' uniform, the man approaches him.

"You the guy?" the man asks, "You that Freddy character?"

"Frederick George," Freddy holds out his hand, which the stranger refuses, "People call me 'Freddy.' You're 'Uncle Charlie?'"

Captain Charles Kissingham barely nods as he says quietly, "Let me show you the goods."

Kissingham leads Freddy onto the base and into a remote hangar, which once housed mobile suits. The hangar is as dark as it is cavernous, until Kissingham switches on a bank of lights.

Freddy opens his mouth wide enough that his expensive Cuban cigar falls out of his mouth. He catches it before it hits the ground, and reinserts it into his mouth as he marvels at the sight in front of him.

"That's the Gundam prototype that was stolen from Side 7 around a week ago," Freddy says through puffs on his cigar, "Amazing. So you're that Captain Kissingham who was its test pilot."

"Is its permanent pilot, PERIOD," Kissingham insists, "my services come with the Gundam, buddy. It's not like YOUR fat ass can pilot it."

"I don't really need an entire mobile suit," Freddy says, admiring the machine, "besides...it isn't realistically possible to sell it like this. It's got to be separated into components. How much you asking for, Kissingham?"

Kissingham, who does not appear to be entirely lucid, pauses a moment before answering, "Twenty trillion Federation credits."

Freddy nearly swallows his cigar, and coughs and wheezes for a minute before answering, "Look, Charlie...may I call you Charlie? We all want to be independently wealthy, I get it. I've done pretty well for myself, as you can see, but even I can't even dream of affording the Federation's national debt. We've got to be real, here, my friend. How much were you offered for it before?"

"A lousy two mill," Kissingham snarls.

"What if I offer you five times that," Freddy proposes, "plus the two mill the previous buyer offered you, just for your troubles?"

Uncle Charlie makes a bitter face, but the reality of his situation does begin to dawn on him.

"Twelve mill? All right," Charlie answers, "but I want it all in cash, Freddy. Don't even think about double crossing me, or I'll vaporize you and your whole operation."

Freddy laughs nervously, patting Kissingham on the arm, "Do not worry, my friend. Nobody who's done business with Freddy has regretted it yet. Here...for your graciousness in inviting me over to talk today, five grand...and a hundred-grand deposit for your machine here. You'll get the rest later today after I've visited the bank and bring some equipment to dismantle and transport it."

Charlie accepts the cash, "What time?"

Freddy checks his gold pocket watch, "21:00 tonight...when the colony goes dark."

* * *

Aboard General Alexander Miguel's _Sadalahn_ -class flagship _Cassius_ , 1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi approaches her newly assigned mobile suit, the AMX-88 Elmeth Gamma Prototype.

Clad in her black Zeon-style normal suit, Kyoko is lifted by elevator crane to the cockpit of the Elmeth Gamma Prototype. The young Phobos Zeon MS pilot enters the cockpit, straps herself into the pilot's seat, and dons her specially equipped helmet, its interior studded with psychomm-sensitive sensors.

Helmet in place, Kyoko activates the Elmeth Gamma's combat systems. The mobile suit responds to her commands, both physical and telekinetic.

"1Lt. Yamaguchi," General Alexander Miguel's strong, authoritative voice comes through Kyoko's helmet receivers.

"My lord," Kyoko answers, "Standing by for deployment, my lord."

"Kyoko," Alexander says, "Frontier 8's defense systems are a force to reckon with...particularly the asteroid defense system that our intel personnel discovered: 'the Grid,' they call it. Nonetheless, I trust that your skills and the abilities of the Elmeth Gamma Prototype will be more than adequate to deal with it. Remember: this is a punitive raid, so be sure to make our point...strongly."

"Understood, my lord," Kyoko responds, grinning in anticipation.

Alexander switches over to combat comms, "This is Miguel. All units prepare to move out. Objective: Frontier 8's Los Alamos Colony. Search and destroy."

"Yes, my lord," comes the enthusiastic chorus of replies.

The Phobos MS force launches from the deck of the _Cassius_ , led by 1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi's AMX-88 Elmeth Gamma Prototype, then followed by General Alexander Miguel's MSN-04II Nightingale, forty-six MS-14P Gelgoog Phobos Marines, four MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jagers, and a pair of AMS-123X Varguils.

The swarm of Phobos Zeon mobile suits bears down upon Los Alamos Colony

* * *

At Malden Station (named after Captain Woody Malden, hero of Jaburo during the One Year War), the Earth Federation Forces' defense hub at Los Alamos Colony, 1Lt. Keith Erickson of Frontier 8's MS Defense Squadron briefs his troops in the MS hangar...a formidable force of thirty RMS-179 GM-IIs, thirty RMS-106 Hizacks, fifteen RMS-108 Marasais, five RMS-154 Barzams, and Erickson's command unit, an ORX-005 Gaplant, modified for heavy combat.

"Listen up," Lt. Erickson informs the collected Earth Federation Forces' MS combat pilots, all clad in Federation mobile suit pilot normal suits and helmets, "we're facing a larger raiding party than we've seen up to this point. Our homes and families depend on our standing our ground until reinforcements arrive. Are you all ready to fight for our homes and families?

"For Frontier 8 and the Earth Federation!" roar the MS pilots, saluting.

"All right," 1Lt. Erickson returns the solution, "board your MS and stand by to deploy!"

* * *

At Jolie's Salvage Yard at Industria Colony, three mobile suits come to life...their monoeyes glowing in the dimness of the colony's evening shade. The pilots test the three mobile suits for mobility and reaction time, finding the results satisfactory, though not ideal.

"Hey, Spencer," Jolie remarks from the cockpit of her Muttmech, which appears to Jack's and Athena's eyes to not be quite steady on its feet, "are you sure you want to go in unarmed?"

"I'll be fine," Jack replies, "you have any ordnance loaded into those 110mm machine cannons?"

"A few dozen rounds," Jolie says, not remembering, "Maybe. I hope."

"That weapon is unlikely to scratch the Gundam's armor from long range," Jack tells her, "Your best bet would be to get in close to blast the cockpit open..."

"No," Athena objects, "I need Kissingham alive and minimal damage to the prototype."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lieutenant," Jack adds, "so Minh here will use the 110mm machine cannon, with you supporting her from distance with your Zaku's 120mm machine gun, to keep Kissingham off balance. Minh can then draw close enough to land some solid blows to the cockpit of the prototype…"

"...leaving Kissingham out cold," Athena finishes, "Still risky, in terms of Jolie's safety, at least, but probably the best possible plan for taking the prototype intact and Kissingham alive."

"If he's not out by the time I reach my Hizack, he won't have too much fight left in him," Jack adds, "But if we're lucky, it won't come to that."

Haro rolls out into the salvage yard, its electronic processors scanning the three mobile suits. The robot's squeaky electronic voice then pipes up, "Jolie! Jolie! Where are you going?!"

"Hunting," Jolie answers, "you watch the shop while I'm out, Haro."

* * *

Less than an hour later, Jolie has brought Athena and Jack with her to Freddy's salvage yard on the outskirts of Industria Town. The obese proprietor of the eponymous salvage operation puffs on a Havana cigar, glass of rum in hand.

"Offer you folks, something?" Freddy asks casually, eyeing the two strangers, but particularly Athena, with a gleam in his eye.

"No, thanks," Jolie replies, not wanting anything more of Freddy than she absolutely needs (and even then, with extreme reluctance), "Freddy, these are two friends of mine: Athena Ibaz and Jack Spencer. They're...um, in the market for a mobile suit. They need it for...um, heavy private security."

"I'm sure," Freddy answers, sipping on the rum, "I don't ask questions if none are asked of me. What's in it for you, Jolie?"

"Commission fee," Jolie answers, "I want five percent."

"Three," Freddy says, and turning to Jack Spencer, adds, "How 'heavy' is the security you need, and what are you prepared to pay?"

"How heavy you got?" Jack inquires, playing along.

"Well, if you've got the funds," Freddy says, gazing at his fingernails, "I could even hook you up with...a Gundam."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Jack answers tersely.

Freddy shrugs, "You'll see it when I see the money."

"How much?" Jack leans in on Freddy.

Freddy blows out a ring of cigar smoke, "For 10,000,000, I can set you up, but…," as the gleam reappears in his eye as his gaze falls upon Jolie and Athena, his lust practically oozing out of him, "I'd settle for a hot night in bed with these two hot angels here…"

So saying, Freddy reaches out a lascivious finger as if to tickle Athena under her delicate chin.

The obscene gesture triggers a fierce and immediate response from Jolie, who begins growling like a feral animal and takes Freddy to the ground with a powerful, lightning-quick roundhouse kick. As Freddy reels on the ground, Jolie stomps him on his face and hands multiple times with the soles of her heavy Doc Martens boots.

As Jolie brutally ravages Freddy with stomp after furious stomp, she sees in her peripheral vision the batlike demon of her nightmares, which urges her in a rasping voice, "Kill him...kill him…"

Hearing bones cracking and seeing Freddy coughing up mouthfuls of blood as Jolie continues stomping him, Athena moves forward to pull the girl away, but is stopped by Jack, who plants his hand gently on Athena's shoulder and shakes his head quietly.

Jolie plants her meager weight on top of Freddy's prostrate form, locks her hands around his neck, and begins to squeeze, the fire of hate and rage in her eyes.

Seeing the whites of Freddy's eyes, Jack decides the time has come to intervene...

With strong, but disciplined hands, Jack grabs the petite, pretty Asian and gets her in a sleeper hold. Within seconds, the girl is unconscious. Jacks hands her off to Athena, along with some smelling salts, "Never know when something like this can happen, so I'm always prepared."

Freddy lies moaning in a pool of his own blood, his face unrecognizable, "Oh, God...oh, God...I'm dyin'..."

"All right, Freddy, I'll make you a deal," Jack says as he reaches into his jacket pocket, "You tell me where to find Kissingham and the Gundam he stole," as he pulls out a small container and open it up to reveal ten small vials with a red line on them, "and I'll give you five doses of morphine."

"Gimme….gimme…" Freddy moans pathetically, reaching out with a badly mangled hand.

Jack refrains and says, "Information first."

Freddy looks up at Jack and croaks out, "F-Federation base. Half kilo from here. C-Charlie...Federation pilot...stole...G-Gundam prototype."

"Good job, now here's your reward," Jack says as he hands Freddy the promised vials of morphine.

Freddy gratefully accepts the vials and begins setting up the syringes for use.

"We're going to need to go back for the mobile suits," Athena remarks, opening a pack of smelling salts under Jolie's nose, "Kissingham isn't going to surrender without a fight."

"That's a given," Jack replies, "He's got firepower, armor, and speed advantages over us, but we've got everything else. What we…"

Jack's remarks are interrupted by the sound of Freddy slumping over…

 _In Freddy's mind's eye...he lies comfortably on a large, soft mattress. The beautiful, naked forms of Athena Ibaz and Jolie Minh provide his every imaginable pleasure...bliss...pure bliss..._

 _Freddy wraps his arms around the warm, soft bodies of Athena and Jolie as they caress and kiss him...until the temperature suddenly drops._

 _The two young women disappear...their forms having metamorphosed those of a lioness and a phoenix, which rend his flesh, causing Freddy to scream in agony._

 _A large man in a Zeon officer's uniform, a horrific scar on his face, appears before Freddy. Freddy recognizes him as…_

" _Dozle Zabi," Freddy croaks out, "How…?"_

 _Dozle's rumbles, his voice like thunder, "You dared to think of my daughter in such a vile manner. You DARED to touch her in such a vile manner?!"_

 _Dozle begins to change form...becoming a giant, demonic bat!_

 _Freddy screams as the demonic bat being consumes him._

Athena checks Freddy's pulse. Nothing.

"Dead," she remarks.

Jack sighs and shakes his head, "That fool WOULD use all five vials at once."

Jolie comes around, nearly punching out at Athena, when she spots Freddy lying dead on the ground.

"He…" Jolie begins, "Did I?"

"Not you," Jack says, "Not directly, at least. He OD'd on morphine. Greed got to him, as expected."

"But...he…" Jolie begins.

"He provided the location of Kissingham and the Gundam prototype before he overdosed," Athena explains, helping Jolie to her feet, "...the abandoned Federation Forces station just a few klicks from here."

* * *

A large force of assorted Earth Federation Forces mobile suits commanded by 1Lt. Keith Erickson's NRX-055 Gaplant deploys from Malden Station, taking up a defensive formation as they pass beyond the perimeter of the Frontier 8 zone.

"Defense Squadron Leader to all units," Erickson commands from the cockpit of the Gaplant, "Bogies ahead, "Scan ID of incoming bogeys indicates mostly Gelgoog types...Marines and Jagers, but also several high-performance units that are not in the databases of our combat computers. Be prepared for anything, folks."

"Roger, sir," comes the chorus of responses.

* * *

From the opposite direction, General Alexander Miguel's Phobos Zeon attack force performs a similar scan of the opposition.

"An assortment of Gryps Conflict era mobile suits," Miguel informs his troops, "altogether unimpressive. 1Lt. Yamaguchi, circumvent their defensive 'Grid,' and then follow our predesignated plan. All other units, follow my lead and SMITE THEM. No prisoners."

The Phobos MS Forces descend upon the swarm of approaching Earth Federation Forces MS like a flight of birds of prey into a hutch of baby rabbits.

1Lt. Erickson senses fear creeping up his spine as his eyes witness six of the mobile suits under his command go up in flames. He hears the death screams of the men and women under his command, as well as the shouts of terror among those whose death's reach has not found...yet.

"Hold the line! HOLD THE LINE!" Erickson exhorts his troops.

They try. Valiantly, they try, but it is instantly evident that Erickson's troops, despite their valor, are far, far outclassed.

Erickson is observant enough to notice that the six mobile suits that fell first were each disintegrated by blasts from incredibly fast-moving,funnel-shaped units fitted with beam blasters. Erickson has heard and read about them….Psychom Funnels...a technology first developed during the One Year War and since improved upon multiple times. This is the first time that Erickson has ever seen the technology in action.

Erickson identifies the source...a massive black mobile suit that looks like it could be the Grim Reaper itself.

Erickson ignites his Gaplant's beam saber. If it ends here, it will end with a valorous, hopeless charge at the enemy.

Ten seconds later, it is over, Erickson disintegrated, his Gaplant impaled through the cockpit by the yellow beam of the Nightingale's beam tomahawk saber.

Alexander extracts Nightingale's beam saber from the wreckage of Erickson's Gaplant coldly as he sees that his forces have nearly finished off the Federation's pathetic defense force.

"Proceed," Alexander orders his troops.

All around the leader of Phobos, similar scenes play out...a Varguil vanquishes a Marasai with the greatest of ease...a Gelgoog Marine downs a Hizack effortlessly. The Federation Forces crumble like sand before the force of a tsunami.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Garancieres_ at the Los Alamos Spaceport, Captain Zinnerman has ordered his crew to battle stations.

"Mari, Loni," Captain Zinnerman calls out through the tactical comms, "Report in."

"We're on the MS deck, Captain," Marida answers, as she dons her combat normal suit, "we'll be ready to deploy momentarily."

"Where's Jonah Michaels?" the master of the _Garancieres_ asks

Marida lets out a long-suffering sigh before she replies, "We asked him to come back with us, but he insisted on staying behind in Alamos City helping to get civilians to shelter."

"All right," the captain replies, "You and Loni deploy on the double! The Federation's civil defense MS squad has already been reduced to scrap."

"We're on the way. C'mon, Loni!" Zinnerman hears Marida call out.

Zinnerman muses for a moment, _Jonah Michaels...the kid is braver than I'd thought. He has heart. He has guts. But does he have what it takes to survive?_

* * *

In Alamos City, Jonah tirelessly helps civilians, mostly elderly and infirm in wheelchairs and gurneys, into vehicles that carry them towards reinforced shelters. Round after round, Jonah locates and collects as many people as he can, reassuring them gently as he guides them to relative safety.

A spark from Jonah's forehead catches his attention, and a realization dawns upon him: _It's Alex...and that Lt. Yamaguchi. They're HERE!_

* * *

1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi is in the cockpit of the mighty Elmeth Gamma, guiding the prototype Phobos Zeon psychom-equipped mobile suit through the perimeter of Frontier 8, where she is abruptly met with the colony's so-called "Grid" defense system...a network of asteroids designed to maneuver and enclose or collide with intruding targets in an inescapable formation.

Kyoko's mind scans the field...not only where the asteroids are at present, but where they will be within moments...even instants.

Using its powerful, precise maneuvering thrusters, the Elmeth Gamma skips from asteroid to asteroid, dodging one after another….breaking hard left, right, up, and down….with carefully placed movements akin to the _ninjitsu_ of Kyoko's national and ethnic heritage. Indeed, the _ninjitsu_ of old would have admired the grace of Kyoko's maneuvers, could they have seen them.

Kyoko directs her mobile suit into a continuous barrel roll that enables her to outmaneuver the asteroids hurtling towards her….maintaining a perpetual motion that provides the microseconds' advantage that makes the difference between life and death.

To the outsider observer, it would appear almost like...a dance. A waltz with death on the edge of the universe. Beauty and lethality inseparable...like Kyoko Yamaguchi herself.

At last, Kyoko runs out of dancing partners, and her quarry is in sight.

Newport Colony - Bunch 11 of Frontier 8, and one of the comparatively more heavily populated of Frontier 8's colonies, home to 300,000 people. Purely residential - mostly families. No military facilities and thus, comparatively lightly guarded.

Kyoko brings the Elmeth Gamma...her Angel of Death...to a halt and aims its specially outfitted, arm-mounted rail gun cannon to bear on the colony.

In her mind, Kyoko recalls one of Alexander's favorite quotes...one which he has often heard him recite quietly, from the Hindu faith's sacred text _Bhagavad-Gita_ , "I am become Death...Destroyer of Worlds."

The rail gun unleashes six shots in succession...the powerful blasts tearing massive breaches in Newport Colony.

Abruptly, what had been an ordinary day of work, school, and the pleasures of life and family is transformed into a night of horror, pain, and death.

Three-hundred thousand scream as they begin to realize that a horrific death is upon them.

Kyoko closes her eyes.

* * *

At Los Alamos Colony, Jonah drops to the ground suddenly, clutching his head in pain, causing concern among those whom he had been in the midst of assisting.

"Is the young man OK?" asks one elderly woman.

"He fell suddenly...something about his head," an octogenarian man offers, as he tries to help Jonah up.

"Somebody call for a medic!" a third person yells.

"Death…" Jonah whispers painfully, "...it's...it's the touch of death...so many souls...lost...just lost…"

* * *

Aboard the cockpits of their Kyashatriya and the Rebawoo mobile suits on the MS deck of the _Garancieres_ , Marida Cruz and Loni Garvey also sense the horrific loss of life, though Marida's response is different from Jonah's.

"All those people," Marida snarls through tightly clenched teeth, "Those damned MURDEROUS BASTARDS! They'll answer for this!"

"Let's get them, Mari!" Loni concurs.

The Kyashatriya and Loni's personal ReBawoow launch from the _Garancieres_ , avenging angels seeking bloody justice.

* * *

Elsewhere at Los Alamos Colony, Team Jupiter (previously known as the "Gundam Team" during the First Neo Zeon War) prepares to board and sortie in their mobile suits.

Judau Ashta pauses before boarding his customized RX-160 Byarlant (equipped with a double beam cannon similar to the one that once served as the primary weapon of Judau's MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam during the First Neo Zeon War), seized by intense headaches similar to those experienced simultaneously by Jonah and Marida. The most powerful natural Newtype of his generation, Judau too senses the massive horror and loss of lives at Newport Colony.

"Judau!" comes the voice of Beecha Oleg, "Hey...you OK, dude?"

"Yeah, yeah," Judau replies, struggling to regain his balance, "I...we...we've got to move out…"

"No kidding," Beecha retorts, "I just got word that a Phobos Zeon mobile suit tore some pretty nice holes into Newport Colony!"

"I know...I know…," Judau answers, "That's...that's why we need to get out there, fast…"

So saying, Judau boards the Byarlant and brings the combat systems to life. Beside Judau's Byarlant, his wife Roux is ready aboard her RX-110 Gabthley, and their friends Mondo Agake and Ino Abbov stand by behind them in their RMS-154 Barzams modified to accommodate G-Defensers Bringing up the rear is none other than Beecha, suited into an RMS-106CS Hizack Custom.

"Team Jupiter! Launch and intercept Phobos Zeon enemy!" Judau declares.

* * *

Across space, roughly thirty minutes earlier, Captain Rick Tinne of the Centurion Team sits at a booth at Danielle's Diner at Industria Colony. He is about to dig into a Sloppy Joe sandwich that he ordered when his burner phone rings.

Athena Ibaz's voice comes through the receiver, "I found it. Abandoned Federation base at the southern terminus of the colony."

"Got it, Ibaz," Tinne answers, "Don't go in by yourself. Wait for me. Where are you right now?"

Athena answers, "At Jolie's Salvage Yard, a local business at 5150 Roscoe Blvd."

"Hang tight, I'll meet you there in thirty minutes," Tinne says.

"Yes, sir, but…" Athena begins.

Rick then hears an unfamiliar man's voice through the phone, "You Tinne? 1Lt. Ibaz's commanding officer?"

"Who is this?!" Tinne demands.

"Who I am is irrelevant," the man replies, "All you need to know is that the situation is already taken care of. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and take the credit when it's all over."

The man hangs up. Tinne calls Athena's phone, but receives no answer.

 _Shit_ , Tinne thinks to himself, breaking into a cold sweat, _I can't let them talk to Charlie or the whole gig is up!_

Paying for the meal he will never eat, Captain Tinne abruptly leaves the diner and heads for the spaceport.

* * *

Kyoko turns towards Los Alamos Colony to rejoin with Alex and the main group when her gaze fixes upon two mobile suits that are clearly not standard for Frontier 8's defense force: one is a customized red Bawoo, and the other unfamiliar, both to Kyoko and the Elmeth Gamma Prototype's database, but Kyoko sees its general profile as deeply reminiscent of the NZ-000 Queen Mansa from the First Neo Zeon War.

"YOU HEARTLESS BITCH," one of the pilots screams over the comms channel as a total of 24 funnels deploy from the green mech, "WHY WOULD YOU ATTACK A CIVILIAN TARGET LIKE THAT?! HAVE YOU NO MORAL DECENCY?!"

Kyoko quickly dodges as she places the railgun on its storage rack. From there, a manipulator brings her melee weapon into reach: custom designed High Frequency Katana Blade. As her Elmeth Gamma reaches for the weapon, a psychic spark emerges from her forehead, causing her to dodge on impulse. She can tell these are some of the same beams she dodged just seconds ago, but that shouldn't be possible! She then sees a series of reflector bits intercept the beams and redirect them towards her. Acting on pure instinct, she draws the blade and swings it, dissipating one of the beams while she dodges the rest.

 _Their teamwork is impeccable,_ Yamaguchi thinks observantly, _Fortunately for me, they're not the only ones with psycommu weapons._

Kyoko's psychic command deploys her Elmeth Gamma's 18 funnels, which target both enemies. The red Bawoo either dodges or uses its reflector bits to redirect the attacks back at her. The green one does not even bother dodging, to Kyoko's surprise. Instead, the binders pull in close to the mysterious, unidentified mech, and Kyoko's funnel beams are harmlessly deflected.

 _Of course that one would have an I-Field,_ Kyoko realizes begrudgingly.

Phobos Zeon's Angel of Death recalls her funnels and makes a quick assessment of her situation, _'At this rate, it'll be all I can do to break even with them… I must retreat.'_

Her decision made, Kyoko disengages all of the safety limiters and redlines her thrusters as she makes a mad dash for the Phobos Fleet.

 _Formidable adversaries_ , Kyoko reflects, _but who are they? They're not Earth Federation Forces. Who could they be?_

* * *

"You Kissingham?" Jack Spencer asks the gaunt, disheveled man he meets at the abandoned Earth Federation Forces base.

"Maybe," the man croaks out, "You...the buyer?"

"The name's Spencer," Jack says, "Freddy told me you had some...heavy hardware that I'd be interested in.

"Where's Freddy?" Uncle Charlie asks suspiciously.

"Freddy couldn't be here," Jack answers, "He had a bit too much to drink when he met with me and has been oblivious ever since, but you and I can deal."

So saying, Jack fans out a stack of bills...more money than Kissingham has seen in his life.

Kissingham reaches out greedily for the money, but Jack pulls it back, "Not yet, buddy. I want to see it first."

Kissingham smirks, "Fine. We'll do it your way, Spencer."

So saying, Charlie leads Jack into a hangar, where towering above them stands the RX-780 Gundam-100.

Jack admires the Earth Federation Forces mobile suit, _I'll be damned...Gundam-class mobile suits...always impressive specimens of workmanship, I must admit._

"So, who you with?" Charlie asks, trying to get some background on his buyer, "Can't be the Federation."

"I'm with the Sleeves,"Jack tells him.

"I should have known some Neo Zeon movement would take interest," Charles chuckles, only to find himself pinned against a wall.

"Let me get something straight," Col. Spencer growls dangerously, "The Sleeves are NOT a Neo Zeon movement! Yes, we use Zeon mobile suits. Yes, we consist mostly of former Zeon pilots, scientists, and what have you! But we are not interested in starting another Zeon crusade!"

Jack releases the man as the ghosts of the One Year War creep into his vision, "All they've done is cause suffering and misery...and taken those we love from us."

"Hey, hey...ease up, brother," Uncle Charlie replies, "I'm not ideological or anything. I don't believe in that Feddie/Zeon bullshit any more than you do. I'm just out to make it for myself, you know? Just a man trying to make his way in this goddamn world, know what I mean?"

Jack lets Charlie go. They both hear the distant rumble of jet engines...

* * *

At Jolie's Salvage Yard, Athena and Jolie sit in the opened cockpits of their mobile suits...her father's green Zaku in Athena's case, and the Muttmech in Jolie's, waiting for the signal from Jack Spencer to move in.

"So now that you're dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking rich," Athena says to Jolie, "What do you plan to do after helping us take down Kissingham and recovering the Gundam-100?"

"I don't know," Jolie replies, "I haven't thought that far ahead. I'll leave this dump for sure, and I'll go...go…"

"You have no idea, do you?" Athena teases.

Jolie's uncharacteristic silence affirms that such is the case.

"You can come with me to Side 7 and join the Earth Federation Forces," Athena suggests.

Jolie laughs out loud, "You must be KIDDING! I'd make a horrible soldier! I can't take directions and you know what a scatterbrain I am!"

Athena becomes serious, "There are men out there...men who hold tremendous power in their hands, but have no idea how to use it. Some of them are my superior officers in the Earth Federation Forces, and others struggle for their own power under the banner of Zeon."

Jolie scowls, "Alexander Miguel…"

Athena nods, "He and others. If you sit here, or run and hide, people such as Miguel will continue to rule and ruin this world, leading it into one war after another. If you come and work with me, I swear to you...we'll change the world together."

Jolie ponders what Athena has said to her. Something about what the young Earth Federation Forces officer has said...and just as importantly, how she said it, stirs something in Jolie...causes her to become unable to not believe in her.

Jolie is about to say something in response when the attention of both young women is drawn by the roar of mobile suit thrusters overhead.

Athena and Jolie look skyward to see Captain Rick Tinne's ReZel mobile suit, in its Waverider configuration, streak overhead in the direction of the abandoned base where Jack Spencer has gone to confront Kissingham.

"Shit!" Athena curses, closing the cockpit hatch of her father's Zaku and bringing systems from standby to combat mode. Across the yard, Jolie pulls on her helmet and activates the Muttmech.

The two decrepit mobile suits jet off in pursuit of Tinne's ReZel.

* * *

Jack and Uncle Charlie both gaze upwards at Captain Rick Tinne's ReZel, which reconfigures itself from Waverider to mobile suit mode in front of them.

"It's over, Kissingham," Tinne's voice booms from the ReZel's loudspeaker.

"You," an apoplectic Kissingham glares both at the ReZel and at Jack Spencer, "you sold me out!"

So saying, Charlie falls into the seat of the Gundam-100 just in time to raise the prototype's arm-mounted shield to deflect a blast from the ReZel's beam rifle. The Gundam-100 survives the blast, but the arm-mounted shield is reduced to a molten ruin.

Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating, Jack bolts from the scene, headed towards his Hizack Custom.

"End of the road, Charlie," Tinne snarls, taking a second shot at the Gundam-100, which Kissingham barely manages to avoid.

"Backstabbing sonofabitch! GO TO HELL!" Charlie retorts, pulling out the Gundam 100's beam saber and charging at Tinne's ReZel.

Tinne responds in kind, drawing his own mobile suit's beam saber.

 _Charlie is as dead as last week's tuna casserole_ , Tinne thinks to himself, _but Blackhead will likely dock my pay if I don't bring back the prototype in one piece. Damn you, Charlie...going to fuck your shit up for fucking my retirement plans over!_

 _Die, you backstabbing asshole_ , is the only thought on Kissingham's mind.

The two Earth Federation Forces mobile suits charge at each other like two medieval knights, putting on a burst of speed as they close in on each other.

The tip of the ReZel's beam saber lances towards the Gundam-100's head unit, but misses its mark as Kissingham bobs the Gundam-100 to the right.

The Gundam-100's blade finds its mark, burning straight through the ReZel's cockit and reducing Captain Rick Tinne to vapor.

Athena and Jolie arrive in the Zaku and Muttmech just in time to see Tinne's ReZel go down.

"Oh my God!" Jolie gasps as she witnesses Tinne's demise.

"Jolie, behind me!" Athena orders, leveling the Zaku's machine gun at the Gundam-100.

Athena opens fire; an expert markswoman both in and out of the mobile suit cockpit, Athena hits her target with every round from the Zaku's weapon. Zaku machine gun rounds, however, are of very limited effectiveness against Gundarium armor, and the superheated rounds bounce off the Gundam-100's robust armored shell.

That does not mean, however, that Athena's shots are wasted, for while the rounds do not inflict any serious damage upon the Gundam-100 (which is not Athena's intent), they do prevent Kissingham from getting his bearings and taking proper aim with the Gundam-100's beam rifle.

"Jolie!" Athena calls out, "I'm running out of rounds here! Move in!"

"Right!" Jolie responds, as the two work with perfect chemistry as if they have been combat partners for years.

Fearlessly, Jolie charges her Muttmech at the Gundam-100 as Athena's Zaku's machine gun fire continues to prevent Charlie from bringing the beam rifle or other weapons to bear upon them.

With a savage battle cry, Jolie directs the Muttmech in a flying kick that topples the Gundam-100, sending the prototype Earth Federation Forces high-performance mobile suit flat on its back.

The Muttmech straddles the Gundam-100 between its legs, pinning it down, as the armored fists of Jolie's mobile suit begin to pummel the midsection of the Federation mobile suit.

"GO DOWN, YOU FILTHY TRAITOR! GO DOWN! GO DOWN!" Jolie screams, her eyes fiery with rage, as she slams the Gundam-100's cockpit hatch with the Muttmech's fists again and again, harder and faster with each strike.

Inside the Gundam-100's cockpit, Captain Charles Kissingham is bloodied, bruised, and nauseous. Between the Zaku's machine gun rounds and that...junk mobile suit's vicious punches, Kissingham can barely stay conscious.

The machine gun of Athena's Zaku fires its final rounds and clicks empty.

"Shit!" Athena snarls, "Jolie! I'm out of ammo! You're on your own: FINISH HIM!"

Jolie clasps both of the Muttmech's hands together and raises them over her mobile suit's head for a crushing _coup de grace_ , but to her dismay...the Muttmech freezes.

"FUCKING A!" Jolie screams, as the diagnostic screen inside the Muttmech's cockpit indicates severe overheating and joint failure in her mobile suit's arm and hand drivers.

At that same moment, Jolie senses...him, across the cosmos...his soul in pain….screaming with terror...overwhelmed by the cold sensation of death…

 _Jonah…_

Kissingham, noticing that the Zaku has stopped shooting and the scrap mobile suit has stopped moving altogether, takes advantage, lifting the Muttmech off of the Gundam-100, uprighting the powerful Federation mobile suit, and hurling the Muttmech's unmoving mass directly at Athena's Zaku, toppling the green mobile suit as well.

"You two brats are done!" Charlie growls, locking both the Zaku and Muttmech in the targeting scope of his beam rifle, his finger tensing on the trigger.

It is at this moment that Jack Spencer arrives on the scene… and the sight of the Gundam-100 about to destroy both targets takes him back to a different place and time. Suddenly, he is back on Earth, defending the mining base from a full scale assault. The Gundam-100 is replaced in Jack's mind's eye by one of the Federation's RX-79 (G) Ground Type Gundam units, and the beam rifle with a shortened 180mm rifle cannon. The Muttmech becomes a MS-09K-2 Dom Cannon. It is the moment Gwen Atiyah would sustain the injury that would claim her life all over again.

"Not this time," Jack growls out as he immediately redlines the thrusters, "NOT EVER AGAIN!"

To Kissingham's shock and dismay, the Hizack Custom piloted by Col. Jack Spencer appears abruptly at his side, grabbing the wrist of the Gundam-100's beam rifle-armed right hand with the Hizack Custom's own right hand, and using the Hizack's left hand to break the Gundam's right elbow, effectively disabling the Gundam's controls, forcing the beam rifle to drop to the ground.

"You!" Kissingham blurts out fearfully.

Before Kissingham can say or do more, Jack has his Hizack Custom's left hand sliding down the arm to the Gundam 100's main torso, and his mobile suit's left leg hooked behind the Federation prototype's right leg.

With one deft motion, the Hizack Custom has the Gundam 100 on its back, followed by Jack sending the right fist of his Mobile Suit into the cockpit of the Gundam, knocking Charlie out in one swift punch.

The Hizack rises to its full height, Jack panting as reality finally catches up to him… his mind in the present once more, he extends his Mobile Suits right arm towards the Gundam-100. A cable then shoots forth from the Hizack's wrist and sends an electrical surge through the Gundam for good measure, causing the Federation mobile suit's yellow eyes to go dark as its systems are forced to shutdown to prevent electrical damage.

Seeing that the Gundam-100 is subdued, Jack and Athena disembark from their mobile suits, firearms in hand and pointed at the cockpit hatch of the Gundam.

"Cover me," Jack says to Athena, not taking his eyes off the cockpit hatch, which he approaches cautiously.

Athena draws a bead on the cockpit hatch as Jack opens an external access panel to the door's circuitry. Within minutes, Jack has hotwired the door to slide open.

Athena's finger tenses around the trigger of her weapon as Jack, with one swift motion, pulls up the unconscious form of Uncle Charlie, whom Jack dumps on the deck like a pile of garbage.

At the same moment, Jolie comes to, "Wh...wh…?"

"We got him," Athena tells Jolie, helping her out of the cockpit of the now permanently disabled Muttmech.

"Fucking hell, 'Thena," Jolie slurs, "I'm not gonna have any brain cells left if we keep this up."

Jolie sees Charlie's prone form lying on the ground.

"That's your bogeyman?" Jolie asks, pointing at the oblivious Kissingham.

"Captain Charles Kissingham," Athena confirms, "He's going back to Side 7 with us to face charges of treason."

Jolie walks over to the unconscious Kissingham and wakes him with a HARD kick to the ribs.

Jack pulls Charlie by the lapels of his Earth Federation Forces uniform jacket, "Tell us a story, Kissingham. Tell us who you were originally stealing the Gundam-100 prototype for. You didn't take it in the hopes of small-timers like Freddy buying it for scrap."

Kissingham is about to speak out when he is silenced forever as a single pellet pierces the left side of his skull and exits from the right side. Captain Charles Kissingham, fourth highest-scoring Earth Federation Forces mobile suit ace pilot during the One Year War, dies ignominiously with one final, pathetic gurgle.

"What just happened?!" Jolie demands, taking a moment longer than Jack and Athena to realize that Charlie has met his end at the hands of an assassin.

Athena closes Kissingham's eyes with her hand and examines the fatal entry and exit wounds on the dead man's head, saying after a minute, "I'm not familiar with this kind of weapon."

"I am," Jack says as he picks up the projectile from nearby, "it's a .45 caliber hunting grade air rifle pellet. Very common in places where the criminal underworld has a strong influence because they're completely unregulated... reason why is because they're not classified as firearms."

"That means it will be nearly impossible to trace whoever killed Kissingham," Athena sighs.

Jack examines the area the shot came for any trace of movement, but doesn't see a damn thing. Nevertheless, Jack can sense the assassin's irritation growing. "He's still here."

"Let's find the motherfucker and…!" Jolie begins.

"Bad idea," Jack says, "He's not after us, or we'd be lying in a pile with Kissingham right now… but we will be if we move in on him… best to let sleeping dogs lie."

"He's right," Athena says, holstering her Marakov, "besides, we got what we came for, so let's get out of here."

The three look at the fallen RX-780 Gundam-100, whose yellow eyes once again begin to glow...

* * *

At Frontier 8, Alexander Miguel finally encounters something he can actually call resistance in the form of a customized Byarlant and a Gabthley. The Lord of Phobos can tell by the grace and fluidity of their movements that the pilots of the two erstwhile Titans mobile suits are intimately familiar with each other, perhaps lovers…but their mobile suits, though state-of-the-art just a decade earlier, pale in comparison to the Nightingale.

"This guy's good," Judau says as he barely manages to dodge another funnel beam. Not only is the enemy a force to reckon with, but Judau must also contend with the dilemma that it takes considerably more time to charge the high mega cannon than before - it's all he can do to just stay alive against this dangerous opponent.

"No kidding," Roux growls as their adversary dodges her attacks with a speed that seems impossible expect for such a bulky mobile suit, "He's definitely a cut above the other pilots."

"Hey Mondo," Judau asks as he switches over to a private channel, "How long until Lee's ready to go?"

"Just give us two more minutes Judau. The Mk. III has a pretty lengthy systems checklist, but she's almost done. After that, it's a matter of getting this behemoth out the bay door."

"I hear you man," Judau replies. The former pilot of the ZZ Gundam then notices that the high mega cannon is finally fully charged.

"Aww...yeah, time to get this party started." Judau positions himself so that even if the large black one dodges, he'd still do some serious damage to the enemy forces. "EAT MY HIGH MEGA CANNON!"

And with that battle cry, Alexander Miguel loses a full 20 percent of his overall attack force.

"That weapon is certainly not standard issue for a Byarlant," Alexander warns his surviving troops, "And I can tell this pilot is a stronger adversary than most… he must be that Judau Ashta kid I heard my father talking about with Haman Karn during the First Neo Zeon War."

Alexander then brings the full might of the Nightingale down upon Judau, forcing the one-time AEUG ace to dodge to the best of his abilities. The intensity of the funnels' beam storm, however, soon prove overwhelming as a web of beam fire from the Nightingale's funnels cut off the Byarlant's legs, crippling the transformable mobile suit's maneuverability.

Miguel would rush in for the kill, but a sudden psychic spark alerts him to a sudden threat as a pink beam passes through the spot that his Nightingale occupied an instant earlier.

* * *

Nearby, Beecha grimaces at the fact that he missed the target, but is at least fortunate enough to have kept the enemy from killing Judau.

It is then they see another Zeon mobile suit approaching from the colony. This one is clearly the responsible party for the destruction of the Newport residential colony. Beecha scarcely has the time to even consider taking a shot at the ebony mobile suit before he is forced to dodge its strike.

 _Scary_ , Beecha thinks, sweat forming on his brow, _more dangerous than Haman!_

Kyoko is unable to shake the growing sense of dread she feels as she passes the Los Alamos Colony. The feeling is of deep, chilling foreboding, but she is unable to place its source until she sees a set of enormous doors opening on the far side of the colony. The light of sun reveals to Kyoko's eyes a monster of a machine, dwarfing her Elmeth Gamma.

Kyoko recognizes it instantly as a Psycho Gundam Mobile Armor, but this unit appears more advanced than the one that was recovered during the First Neo Zeon War. Then she feels a presence identical to that of the pilot of the large green mobile suit she had encountered earlier.

 _Are there still living Puru Clones,_ she thought to herself, _and_ _if so, why do they fight against us?_

Kyoko shakes her head and focuses on reaching Alex; such matters can wait until he knows of the impending danger and orders a retreat.

Alexander Miguel grows increasingly irritated with his enemies. Not only has Judau Ashta managed to escape his grasp thanks to the Gabthley pilot, but now a Barzam leading a sizable group of Marasais and Hizacks has arrived and provides the other Hizack with much needed reinforcement.

"Lord Miguel," Kyoko called out to him over their personal comms channel, "We have to-"

"Lieutenant Yamaguchi, I'm glad you're here," he says with great confidence, "Now we can work together to crush the Federation here at Frontier 8."

"But Lord Miguel," she begins again, but is cut off.

"History will remember this day," he tells her, "because today, we…."

Kyoko explodes with uncharacteristic fury, "GODDAMMIT ALEX, WE HAVE TO RETREAT NOW!"

"On the eve of victory?" he asked.

"Only death awaits us here," she tells him as fear becomes more evident in her voice, "The enemy possess far greater defenses than we anticipated."

"How do you…?"

It is at this moment that colony finishes rotating, revealing the massive Psycho Gundam unit.

"The devil…?" Miguel can only whisper.

The eyes of the mobile armor light up as its massive hands reach out and grab the doors before launching itself forth from the colony. A plethora of funnels and a large group of reflector bits scatter hither thither as the pilot declares over the public comms channel, "BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE PSYCHO GUNDAM MARK III!"

The funnels fire a single volley of beams that tear through four of the Phobos Zeon warships. Then, to Alexander and Kyoko's horror, the beams redirect towards all other viable targets by the reflector bits… be they other ships, or mobile suits.

For the first time in his life, Alex knows fear.

"Pull back," Miguel says calmly at first, before shouting, "PULL BACK NOW!"

As his troops withdraw from the battle, Alexander glares furiously at the Psycho Gundam Mk III and says, "Maybe Nanai was right after all when she said we're better off trying to develop something superior to the Gundam, as opposed to buying one from our friends out west. How she would mock me if she were here now."

* * *

Athena oversees the RX-780 Gundam-100 being loaded into the cargo hold of the _Albion_ as she communicates via split screen teleconference with Lt. Col. Christina McKenzie and Col. Peter Cairlay.

"Prototype is secure and will be returning to Side 7 within 72 hours," Athena reports to her superior officers, "Unfortunately, Captain Tinne and Captain Kissingham were casualties."

"Kissingham was a traitor, so nothing lost there other than an interrogation opportunity," Cairlay says coldly, "as for Tinne...it's unfortunate, but such is war. Excellent work on recovering the RX-780 intact, Lt. Ibaz. Return to Revil Base immediately."

"Yes, sir," Athena answers, "I'll be bringing back...a new recruit."

"Oh?" Lt. Col. McKenzie responds.

Athena responds in the affirmative, "Yes, ma'am. She's a gifted Newtype and mobile suit pilot. Rough around the edges, but definitely worth the investment of training. If we don't recruit this asset, someone else will."

"Bring her in," Christina answers, "the loss of Captain Tinne means you'll likely assume command of the Centurion Team, and we'd be one MS pilot short."

"There's someone whom I believe should be present for the debriefing," Athena adds, "He played a key role in recovering the stolen prototype."

"Points for being resourceful, Lt. Ibaz," Christina says with a smile, "but who is this 'someone,' exactly?"

"Col. Jack Spencer, previously with the Zeon Terrestrial Forces," Athena tells them.

For different reasons, both Christina and Col. Cairlay fall silent.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Athena arrives at Jolie's shack in the salvage yard, where she finds Jolie packing a few personal belongings into a large backpack.

"I thought you'd shimmied off without me," Jolie says acidly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Athena replies with a smile, "Centurion Team needs a new pilot."

"And I need a new mobile suit," Jolie says, pointing at the wreckage of the Muttmech lying in the salvage yard, "Spencer took a look at it before leaving. He said it would cost more than what he paid me to get it moving again, but he is offering me more moola if I sell him its legs."

"Sorry," Athena answers with genuine contrition, "but hey...lose the Muttmech, gain the Gundam-100."

Jolie smiles, "They're going to let me be its new pilot?"

Athena answers, "That depends on what you show them during training. You're going to have to prove yourself to them, Jolie."

"Meh," Jolie responds, zipping up her backpack.

"Ready?" Athena asks.

"One more thing!" Jolie answers, punching a panel in the shack, which promptly falls out to reveal an ancient Chinese _jian_ sword, hundreds of years old, in a dark red wood and leather scabbard.

Jolie unsheaths its iron blade...its razor sharpness all but ringing through the air.

"I had no idea…," Athena begins.

"Something that's been in my family for many generations," Jolie explains, "It's the Minh Jian...or Ming Jian, as it was originally called."

So saying, Jolie resheaths the ancient sword.

"Not sure you'll get to use it much," Athena says with a smile.

"Use it or not, it's important to my family," Jolie answers.

"All right," Athena pats Jolie on the arm, even as she gazes at the ornately decorated green Zaku that remains standing in the salvage yard, "Let's go."

"Haro!" Jolie calls out.

Haro rolls into view from the salvage yard, cheerfully declaring, "Jolie! 'Thena! Jolie! 'Thena!"

"Hey," Jolie says to the robotic sphere, "We're all going to Side 7. C'mon!"

"Side 7! Side 7!" Haro chirps as it spins playfully, "Amuro is at Side 7! Amuro is at Side 7!"

"No, he isn't," Jolie says with a sigh, "Not anymore. C'mon, let's go!"

Athena and Jolie leave the shack, Haro rolling along behind them. Before they exit the salvage yard, Jolie turns around to regard one last time the salvage yard where she spent her late childhood and early adolescence, especially the Muttmech that she personally built and served her well for several years.

"Later, Muttmech," Jolie whispers, "I'll come back for ya one day….maybe."

* * *

At Frontier 8, Jonah Michaels staggers back to the _Garancieres_ , much to Captain Zinnerman's relief. The youth makes his way to the captain's office.

"Jonah!" Captain Zinnerman bellows upon spotting him, "What happened?"

"Captain," Jonah begins tentatively, "I...I...felt…"

"Slow down," Zinnerman replies, helping Jonah to a couch in the captain's private office, "You don't seem well. I want you to report to sick bay immediately."

"Captain," Jonah begins again, "I...I saw the others in action. Marida, Loni, etc. You and your crew…you're not just merchant voyagers, are you?"

Captain Zinnerman sighs and nods, "We're with the Sleeves. Do you know what that is?"

Jonah has heard the name, though he is foggy on the details, "Some kind of….Spacenoid independence militia movement or something?"

Zinnerman nods, "Now that you know, you have to keep it to yourself."

"Captain," Jonah begins a third time, "I want to join you...to become a member of the Sleeves."

Zinnerman looks troubled, "You aren't a combatant. Didn't you tell me that you left Phobos because you wanted to avoid military service?"

"Yes, but what I saw...what I felt...such evil," Jonah says haltingly, "I….I can't just stand by and let it happen. I feel...that I need to do something...even fight if it comes down to it."

Captain Zinnerman shakes his head, "Then you don't want to join the Sleeves... we're not interested in getting involved in another war. I will, however, fulfill my promise to transport you to the Earth Sphere. Once we dock at Side 7, maybe you can enlist with the Earth Federation Forces, but you need to think about what you're getting yourself into, Jonah."

Jonah nods, staring out of the porthole in the captain's office into space.

 _Alexander…_

Captain Zinnerman calls his engineering crew, "Captain to Engineering. Increase engine output and double our current speed. I'd like to make up for lost time. Perhaps we'll set a speed record for a voyage from Frontier 8 to the Earth Sphere."

* * *

"Is that the _Albion_?" Jolie asks, pointing at the massive cruiser docked at the Industria space port.

"Yes," Athena replies, "We need to…"

"Hey, wait up!" Jolie yells, indicating for Athena to stop.

Athena turns to see what has drawn Jolie's attention, whose span is, remarkably, even shorter than her 155 centimeters.

"A photo booth!" Jolie declares, grinning with delight.

 _Remarkably, still functional,_ Athena notes.

"Hey, come on," Athena says, "They're waiting for us aboard the ship."

"Got a quarter?" Jolie asks.

Athena glares at Jolie, her patience tested.

"We haven't got time for…" Athena begins.

"Look," Jolie says earnestly, "It's not gonna take more than a minute. We might never come back here again. This could be the beginning of something big...like you said, we're gonna change the world, right? We have to record the beginning of that journey for posterior!"

"Posterity," Athena corrects, "All right."

Athena ducks into the photo booth with Jolie and Haro, which naturally rolls into the booth after Jolie, inserts the required coin, and the pair makes a series of funny faces and cute expressions for the camera, holding Haro between them. The masterpiece of which is a simple portrait of the pair smiling and embracing each other closely like the sisters they both feel they are quickly becoming. Athena, especially, enjoys the feeling of, if only momentarily, being able to be herself for the first time since...well, ever, really.

Jolie collects the roll of twelve prints that come out of the machine, grinning with approval, "Cool!"

"OK, we've had our fun...let's go," Athena says.

Undetected by the two young women, hateful, murderous eyes stare at them as they board the _Albion_.

Within thirty minutes, Athena and Jolie have been assigned a cabin with two bunk beds aboard the _Albion_...standard crew quarters. For Jolie, it is her first experience being aboard a space cruiser of such size...at least as a passenger in a cabin with a bunk. She arrived at Industria from her home colony of Quebec as a stowaway aboard the cargo hold of a smaller vessel some six years earlier.

"How long is the trip to Side 7?" Jolie asks, stowing the Minh Jian away.

"Should be eight, nine hours at most," Athena answers, "Just enough for a good sleep."

Haro looks out the viewport of the cabin, seeming...nervous for a robot.

The _Albion_ pulls out of the port of Industria within the hour, _en rout_ to Side 7.

* * *

A squad of five black RMS-099 Rick Diases, undoubtedly leftovers from the Grypts Conflict, drift in space along the shipping route between Side 5 and Side 7. Little distinguishes these Rick Diases from the units that the AEUG deployed against the Titans and Neo Zeons over a decade earlier, except for the arm decals...with the original AEUG decals long removed and replaced by decals marked SLEEVES.

"Snapper!" the pilot of the first Rick Dias says into his helmet comlink.

"Over here, Karr," the second Rick Dias pilot replies.

"How far out is that ship we're looking for?" Snapper asks.

"Should be passing through within the hour," Karr answers.

"You got your guns ready?" Snapper asks further, checking his own Rick Dias's weapon.

Karr primes his Rick Dias's bazooka, "Ready."

Likewise the other three Rick Diases...a hitman crew worthy of the underworld assassins of old.

* * *

Athena finishes,"...and at the end of the training program, you'll be tested by Captain Ryusuke Kenta. I have to warn you that...are you even listening to me?"

Jolie, lying on her bunk with Haro as her pillow, rolls over, "Yeah, sure."

"Your attitude is wanting for someone planning to be a Londo Bell Special Forces officer," Athena remarks.

"Pfft," Jolie responds contemptuously, "I'll blow all your boys and girls away. The Londo Bell Special Forces aren't so special until I get there."

"Big talk," Athena says, "You'd better be able to back it up."

Jolie is about to reply when a hard impact rocks the ship, rolling Jolie off the bunk and forcing Athena to steady herself against the railing.

"What the hell...?!" Jolie demands.

"That was a shell impact," Athena explains, "we're under attack!"

"Attack? Out here? But who..?" Jolie begins.

"We'll look into that later," Athena retorts, bolting for the corridor, "We need to get to the MS deck, now!"

Tremmie suddenly appears at the door to the women's sleeping quarters as another impact rocked the ship and says, "We need to get you both into normal suits! Follow me!"

They arrive at the pilots' locker room where, they can see Lapis and Aeon already wearing Zeon normal suits from the One Year War. Tremmie grabs a couple of suits that she knows would fit Lapis and herself, and hand them to the girls. "These should fit you."

Jolie balks at the idea of wearing a Zeon normal suit, her expression a portrait of disgust "I'm not wearing this Zeke crap!"

The second those words leave her mouth, Jolie finds the pinkette in her face with an unexpectedly fearsome glare as she says, "Then you can die because of your foolish pride!"

Even Athena is stunned by the girl's words… mainly because this was the first time she's heard her speak.

Setting aside her astonishment, Athena turns to Jolie and tells her new charge with an exasperated sigh, "Look Jolie, short shorts and a tank top are NOT going to cut it out there. It isn't ideal, but you'll need it to stay alive."

"B-but-" Jolie begins

"Quit your bitching and put the damn thing on already," Tremmie says as she finished zipping her suit up… getting sick of Jolie's attitude.

Reluctantly, and still cursing under her breath, Jolie dons the Zeon colors of the normal suit.

Once they've finished suiting up, Jolie asks as they step into the hallway, "Why do you even have so many Zeon normal suits?"

"Military surplus," Gavenger states as he walks by.

"They're leftovers from the One Year War," Fritz explains, "So we got them for pretty cheap."

Finding the explanation satisfactory, the two young women pull on their normal suit helmets, bolting towards the RX-780 Gundam-100 when they spot and are spotted by Col. Jack Spencer, clad in a similar normal suit, albeit a little customized, bolting towards his Hizack Custom.

"What are you two doing?!" Spencer demands.

"Our part," Athena retorts, as Jolie scrambles into the Gundam-100's cockpit and brings its combat systems online.

"Just don't get yourselves in over your head," Spencer warns, boarding his Hizack Custom.

Athena enters the cockpit of the Gundam-100 and straps herself into the extendable jumpseat attached to pilot's seat.

"Start the main nuclear fusion power core," Athena orders.

Jolie brings the power core online, "Set. Combat computer online."

"Weapons systems to combat mode," Athena adds.

"Set," Jolie repeats, "power to thrusters is at 110%.

"Let's move out!"

The Gundam-100's eyes flash to life, and the mighty Earth Federation Forces mobile suit walks to the launch catapult to confront the _Albion's_ attackers.

* * *

The five Rick Dias mobile suits pummel the hull of the _Albion_ with their bazooka launchers. The hull has already taken several critical hits, and few more threaten to leave the ship dead and adrift in space.

"Five bogies," Jolie reports, "Um...combat computer identifies them as Rick Dias types. AEUG?"

"There is no more AEUG," Athena demurs, "but somebody is using their old mobile suits. Take us between them and the _Albion_!"

Jolie positions the Gundam-100 adjacent to Col. Spencer's Hizack Custom; the two defenders of the _Albion_ hold their position back to back.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew," Spencer warns Athena and Jolie, "You're still new at this."

"We're also down one arm," Jolie pipes up, as Athena maneuvers the left arm into pointing the beam rifle in the direction of the nearest Rick Dias on the left.

Before Athena can squeeze off a shot, however, Jolie lurches the Gundam-100 aside just in time to dodge an incoming blast from another Rick Dias's beam pistol.

"Did you see that coming?" Athena asks Jolie.

"Uh-huh," Jolie answers, "Don't ask me how, though," as she spins the Gundam away from a yet another Rick Dias's beam saber strike and kicks the Rick Dias through in the head/camera unit.

"Can you hold us steady for a second or two so that I can take a shot with the beam rifle?"

"Um...that might be easier said than done," Jolie answers.

"Get us farther out of the field," Athena instructs.

"You sure?" Jolie asks, "That would carry us out of the range of their guns, but puts them out of the range of ours too…"

"I need to see the entire field...the general distribution of where the targets are dispersed and where they're pointing their guns...and when," Athena tells Jolie.

Trusting in Athena's instincts, Jolie retreats the Gundam-100 farther from the Rick Dias units; to any outside observer, it would appear as if the Gundam were retreating from the fight in an act of cowardice.

Athena scans the field...seeing a Rick Dias that is three-quarters turned away from the Gundam-100 between Jack's Hizack Custom and the _Albion_.

"Launch us towards the unit at the one o'clock position," Athena orders, "double speed, with our left side leaning towards it!"

Jolie complies instantly, engaging the Gundam-100's powerful thrusters.

The Rick Dias begins to spin towards the approaching Gundam.

The Gundam-100 closes to within its own beam rifle's accurate firing range; it dodges the Rick Dias's wayward bazooka blast just as its own beam rifle shot disintegrates the same Rick Dias unit!

"WOO-HOO!" Jolie exults, punching her left fist into the air, her right hand on the control stick.

"Shut up and keep dodging!" Athena retorts tersely.

Jolie has no choice but to comply, as the four remaining Rick Dias bear down upon the Gundam-100, forcing Jolie to throw the mobile suit into a series of abrupt, stomach-churning jukes and dodges to avoid their incoming gunfire. Turning around and shooting back is not a realistic option.

"Colonel Spencer," Athena says calmly into her helmet comms, "we could REALLY use some help here."

"On the way, Ibaz," Jack replies, getting a bead on a Rick Dias.

It is at that moment, for the first time, that Jack sees the decal on the Rick Dias's arms: SLEEVES.

"Sonofabitch," Jack bites out, his eyes aflame, "SONOFABITCH!"

Jack immediately redlines the thrusters of his Hizack Custom and rams the closest Rick Dias with his mobile suit's left spiked armor shoulder. The enemy mobile suit is sent hurtling, which gives the colonel the opening he needs. Spencer deftly brings his modernized 360mm giant bazooka to bear, launching a high explosive anti-tank, or HEAT round, into the rogue Rick Dias's upper torso. The directional charge burns a hole straight through to the reactor, causing it to explode.

Having witnessed Jack sending their comrade to a fiery end, two more Rick Diases close in on the flanks of Jack's Hizack Custom, looking for payback.

The Rick Dias piloted by a man known only as "Snapper" attempts to slash at the Hizack Custom with its beam saber. Jack's mobile suit knocks the Rick Dias off balance with a brutal backhand left-handed punch and finishes Snapper off with a diagonal that proves explosively fatal to the Rick Dias and its pilot.

An instant later the Rick Dias piloted by Karr closes in on the other side of the Hizack Custom and levels its beam pistol at Jack's mobile suit, squeezing off a shot, but not before Jack hurls the Hizack Custom's bazooka into the path of the incoming beam. From behind the resulting firestorm of its explosion suddenly emerges the Gundam-100, taking out the Rick Dias with a single shot from its own beam rifle.

"Good shot, Ibaz," Jack says grimly.

The Gundam-100 is tailed by the fifth and final Rick Dias, which Jack dispatches by impaling its torso with the Hizack Custom's beam saber blade, slicing vertically up towards the head/cockpit module.

Between them, Jack and the tandem of Athena and Jolie have eliminated the Rick Dias squad of five, but the attackers have already done their damage. The _Albion_ drifts limply as emergency crews fight fires on several decks of the ship.

"Do you reckon there are more where those came from?" Athena asks.

Col. Spencer responds, "I'd bet my life on it."

Jolie points towards the _Albion_ , "Looks like the ship is on fire...inside."

"Not good," Athena remarks, surveying the damage, "The ship will need to limp to the nearest shipyard-equipped colony for repairs. L4 is the closest location on the map with such facilities."

Jack nods, "No way it will be able to move at anywhere near full speed without a lot of work. If we're lucky, the emergency repair crews can get it to move at a quarter of its full speed."

* * *

Tremmie monitors the communication channels when she gets a familiar call. Excited, she answers immediately. A moment passes before a bubble gum haired girl pops up on the monitor.

Silver eyes accompany the smile as the girl says, "Spencer's Auto to _Albion_ , this is Penelope G. Spencer. You reading me okay?" Penelope announces.

"Loud and clear, Ms. Penny! This is Tremmie speaking. What's up? Got another order for us?"

Tremmie grins as it has been awhile since she last saw her bestie and favorite client in the whole world.

Penny laughs, "Hey, Tremmie! No, not this time. I'm looking my Colonel of a Dad. Does he exist aboard your ship?"

"It's all good! Yeah, the Chief's still our passenger! He still in his suit, though. So, it will be a bit before I can pass you along."

This comment interests Penny, "Why? What happened?"

"Well…" Tremmie hesitates. As much as Tremmie loves to tell her everything, Penny would freak if she knew the _Albion_ had suffered several fires _en rout_. That, and she knows her pink-haired friend will go through heaven and hell to make sure her father lives another day.

Grey eyes now notice the normal suit as Tremmie bites her lip. Normal suits are only worn in a state of emergency on the _Albion_.

"Tremmie," Penny asks, again in a serious tone, "What happened?"

Tremmie sighs and tells Penny about the situation; the attack, the fires, and the Gundam. Penny is left silent with astonishment.

Penny allows for a moment longer before she speaks again.

"Tremmie," she begins, "I want you to know that I'm in no way shape or form angry. I'm just… frustrated and concerned about my Dad, okay?"

"I know, Penny," Tremmie replies, "But, everything's okay now. Well, except for the engine… there's been a lot of fires…and the Gundam's missing an arm… but, we're all okay!"

Penny smirks, "And that's the important thing! Who else is going to get me my supplies and more?"

The pair laugh briefly as things calm down a bit, but Penny remains concerned about something.

"Anyway, can you get my dad, please?" she requests.

"Sure thing, sister!"

"And Tremmie?"

"Yeah?"

Penelope grins, "I have an order for you when you get back."

It is Tremmie's turn to grin, "You got it! I'll be back with the Chief!"

Tremmie sprints through the ship. She arrives at the hanger just as Jack climbs out of the Hizack.

She waves up at him to get his attention.

"Hey, Chief! Penny's on the line for you in com room!" Tremmie hollers.

"Be right there," he replies as he disembarked from his Hizack. Using the extreme lack of gravity, Jack launches himself towards the corridor where the 19-year-old scrapper currently stands.

A short walk later, and he stands in front of the screen, talking to his daughter. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey, Dad," Penny greeted before cutting to the chase, "I know about the status of the _Albion_. I know why you were out fight the people who hit the _Albion_. My reason for calling is why I felt your anger all the way here in Side 3?! Who or what did you fight?!"

Jack sighs... sometimes his little girl really is too smart for her own good. "You know that group of Sleeves impersonators I told you about?"

"The ones we've been having trouble pinning? They decided to pull this shit at us now?!" Penny groans, "Why?! Did they know the _Albion_ was one of ours or are they just that dumb?!"

"I think they were trying to make it look like we're here to steal the Gundam," he replies. "The ship needs repairs, so we're currently headed to L4."

"I can a fly over there and meet you in the Gelgoog!" Penny suggests, jumping at the chance, "You'll need all the help you can get!"

"You'd never make it," her father replies, "You'd run out of fuel halfway... but we could definitely use the extra help... find four other engineers, preferably anyone who has history with the _Albion_ so they'll be more familiar with it... after that, relay these orders to Daryl Lorenz and Karla Mitchum: they are to transport you five in the _Dried Fish_ II to L4... any mobile suits brought along cannot have any Sleeves markings."

Though disappointed that she won't be bringing the Gelgoog, her eyes light up at the order, "You got it! We'll meet you at L4 in three hours tops!"

 _ **AUTHORS' NOTE: the story of Jack Spencer, Penelope Spencer, and the**_ **Albion** _ **crew at L4 will be continued in MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE SECOND CENTURY - VIGNETTES...now online at FanFiction Dot Net!**_

* * *

Seven days after its departure from Industria Colony, the _Albion_ lurches into the spaceport at Side 7's Green Noa 1 Colony. It docks at the same time as a second ship, the _Garancieres_ , pulls into the adjoining dock.

A crowd of news reporters from a wide variety of media sources - UCN, the _Cislunar Free Press_ , SNN, and dozens of other outlets, awaits at the port, digital cameras and mp3 recorders at the ready.

"What a crowd!" Jolie gapes, noticing the throngs

"Might have been wiser to bring the Gundam prototype in more quietly," Athena remarks, "but Col. Cairlay undoubtedly wanted the PR shine of a successful recovery after losing the prototype in the first place."

Athena and Jolie watch as a crane lifts the RX-780 prototype from the MS deck of the _Albion_ onto a waiting flatbed transport. The crowd of newspersons "oooh" and "ahhhh" as they take snapshots, stream video, and offer their remarks.

UCN reporter Ken Cheng says into his microphone, "A mood of celebration and undoubtedly, great sighs of relief among the Earth Federation Forces officers gathered this afternoon at the Side 7 Spaceport as the prototype RX-780 Gundam-100, stolen from Revil Base by a rogue officer fifteen days ago, returns intact to Side 7…"

At the same time, _Cislunar Free Press_ reporter Linda Ackerman puts a digital recorder into the face of Col. Peter Cairlay, Director of the Londo Bell Special Forces.

"Col. Cairlay, does the theft of the RX-780 signify an alarming degree of incompetence among the Earth Federation Forces?" Linda asks.

"Miss Ackerman, please," Cairlay replies, clearly nettled, "Your insinuations of 'incompetence' are baseless. The Earth Federation…"

"...allowed a powerful mobile suit prototype to be stolen from under its nose by one of its own," Linda finishes, "If that doesn't qualify as 'incompetence,' Colonel, then what does? How can the people of the Earth Sphere rely on you and your personnel to safeguard their lives, property, and liberty?"

Cairlay makes a dismissive gesture, and two burly Federation MPs step forth and haul Linda away.

* * *

The two MPs haul Linda 100 meters away...a safe enough distance from Colonel Cairlay.

"Let go of me, you two thugs!" Linda complains and struggles, "Let me GO!"

The MPs throw Linda roughly to the ground.

One of the MPs grabs Linda's digital recorder and hurls it into the air; it lands ten meters away and shatters to pieces.

"Hey! That's my…!" Linda begins.

"GET LOST!" the MP bellows angrily, "...and don't let us catch you around any of our senior officers again! You're lucky we aren't locking you up!"

The MPs turn to leave. Linda runs to the remains of her camera, picks up the fragments, and is about to chuck a piece at the departing MPs when her hand is stayed by the strong grip of Colonel Jack Spencer.

"You don't want to do that, Dory…" Jack says with a smile.

"What are YOU doing here?!" Linda Ackerman...Dory Ischinda, demands.

"Among other things, to be debriefed," Jack explains, "but before that, to stop you from doing something monumentally stupid. You don't poke a grizzly bear, Dory...not even a sick and dying one. ESPECIALLY not a sick and dying one."

* * *

A minute later, Athena and Jolie disembark from the _Albion._ Having been informed by Col. Cairlay before they docked that the return of the Gundam-100 prototype is to be a public event with the press present, Athena has changed into her Earth Federation Forces' junior officers uniform, with its trademark jacket and skirt ensemble (for female officers) and beret.

"Sharp," Jolie enthuses with a grin.

"Quiet," Athena says in response, as they come into Col. Cairlay's presence.

Cairlay grins at them like a cat who has spotted a duo of canaries.

Athena salutes, "Col. Cairlay. 1Lt. Athena Ibaz reporting, sir."

Cairlay returns the salute, maintaining his sinister grin, "At ease, Lieutenant, and congratulations on the successful recovery of the prototype."

"I regret the loss of Captain Tinne," Athena says.

"As do we all, Lieutenant," Cairlay replies, having long since dismissed Tinne from his mind, "and this...this young lady must be Jolie Minh."

"Yes, sir," Athena replies, "Jolie, meet Colonel Peter Cairlay, Director of the Londo Bell Special Forces."

Jolie extends her hand reluctantly, as if Athena had asked her to stroke a dead rat.

"Make sure that Miss Minh is processed into the cadet program, Lieutenant," Cairlay orders, "I'm due for a meeting with Admiral Blackhead."

"Yes, sir," Athena salutes.

After Cairlay leaves, Jolie sticks her tongue out in disgust, "What a CREEP! Yech! Col. CREEPY is more like it!"

Athena suppresses a giggle, and settles for, "I know what you mean."

Across the dock from the _Albion_ , the personnel of the _Garancieres_ are beginning to disembark. Jolie looks at them uninterestedly for a moment as Athena turns to greet Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie and Captain Ryusuke Kenta.

Approximately 200 meters away, Jonah Michaels gingerly steps down the gangway off the _Garancieres_. Slow-moving by natural temperament, Jonah is all but SHOVED from behind by Marida Cruz.

"Move your lead ass, Michaels!" Marida snarls at him.

If Jonah hears her comments, however, they pass through his ears without being processed through his brain, because all of his focus is upon a long-haired, beautiful young Asian girl clad in the shortest shorts he has ever seen staring back up at him from the deck of the spaceport.

 _It's her!_

"Jolie…" Jonah whispers, mesmerized.

"Jonah…" Jolie whispers, equally transfixed.

Jonah's heart melts at the sight of the adorable smile that answers him across the expanse of the spaceport.


	6. Chapter 5: Recruits

CHAPTER 5: RECRUITS

 _Jolie…_

 _Jonah…_

They have crossed nearly 70 million kilometers and seventeen years to find each other.

Upon first eye contact, they both feel that they have known each other for a billion years.

"Jonah…" Jolie grins.

"Jolie…" Jonah returns the smile, scarcely able to believe the reality of the moment.

"Jolie," 1Lt. Athena Ibaz says, "I want you to meet Lt. Col. Chris…"

Athena turns to see Jolie running across the spaceport, Haro rolling behind her, towards a handsome, dark-haired young man running towards her from the _Garancieres_.

"...I guess you'll meet them later," Athena says, with an exasperated sigh.

"That's Jolie?" Christina asks, "the girl you say helped you to recover the Gundam-100?"

"Yes, ma'am," Athena answers, "Sorry. She's a bit...flighty."

"She's a headcase," Captain Ryusuke Kenta amends, "One hell of a powerful Newtype, but a headcase nonetheless."

* * *

Jolie and Jonah run into each other's arms, laughing deliriously despite having literally just met for the first time...at least physically.

"This is so weird," Jonah finally says, when he finds his voice, "I mean...it's going to sound weird to you, but I...I've been seeing you in my head for years!"

"I know, I know!" Jolie answers, "I've seen you in my head for years too...you ARE Jonah, aren't you?"

"Jonah Michaels," Jonah nods, "I'm a painter...I'm from the Outer Solar System."

"I'm Jolie...Jolie Minh. I just got here from Industria Colony, though I was born in Quebec Colony."

"I came here partly to look for you," Jonah admits, stroking Jolie's long, black hair, "but I also came to join the Earth Federation Forces."

Jolie's eyes widen, "Join the Federation Forces? You too? That's why I'm here."

"I guess this was all meant to be," Jonah smiles.

Jolie can hardly stop staring at Jonah, as handsome as she has always seen him in her mind's eye, and she can hardly wait to tell Athena…

Jolie turns her head back towards the docked _Albion_ , dismayed to see that Athena is gone.

"What's wrong?" Jonah asks.

"'Thena is gone," Jolie says.

"'Thena?" Jonah says.

"Yeah," Jolie answers, "We have a lot to talk about…"

* * *

...and much to discuss indeed do the officers gathered in General Bright Noa's private office at Revil Base have. Present are General Noa himself, 1Lt. Athena Ibaz (Centurion Special Operations Team), 1Lt. Eric Gardner (Intelligence Corps), Lt. Col. Christina MacKenzie (Deputy Director of Special Forces), Captain Ryusuke Kenta, and a special visiting dignitary...Col. Jack Spencer, formerly of the Zeon Terrestrial Forces.

Athena concludes her report, "My belief is that one single entity or a group of colluding entities hired Captain Kissingham to steal the Gundam-100, Kissingham's assassin, and the Rick Dias mobile suit squad that attacked the _Albion_ on its way back to Side 7. I further believe, based on the back-and-forth exchange between Kissingham and Captain Tinne before Tinne's death that Tinne likely also was part of this collusion."

"Let's run the sound file from the black boxes of both the Gundam-100 and Captain Tinne's Re-Zel again," General Noa instructs.

" _It's over, Kissingham," Tinne's now spectral voice repeats from the copy of the audio from his destroyed Re-Zel's black box._

 _"You," Kissingham's voice echoes from the recording of the Gundam-100's black box, "you sold me out!"_

 _"End of the road, Charlie," says Tinne's voice._

" _Backstabbing sonofabitch! GO TO HELL!" Charlie retorts once again._

General Noa turns off the mp3 player, "Opinions?"

1Lt. Gardner speaks up, "Without context, it's impossible to be certain what that exchange was about, but it does cast Tinne in a suspicious light."

Lt. Col MacKenzie offers, "But both Kissingham and Tinne are dead, so there's no way for us to pursue this further."

General Noa re-examines Athena's documents, "And you say the force that assaulted you _en route_ to Side 7 from Industria Colony used RMS-099 Rick Dias mobile suits?"

"Bearing Sleeves decals," Col. Spencer snarls, "but that's BULLSHIT! Sleeves mobile suits bear distinctive markings on the lower arm casings...their 'sleeves.' Sleeves don't use those crude decals."

"1Lt. Ibaz," General Noa says, "Based on your observations, who do you think Kissingham, possibly Tinne, and those Rick Dias mobile suits were in league with?"

"The Neo Zeon remnants in the Outer Solar System are a possibility," Athena answers, "though our intel is insufficient to make any definitive conclusions."

"You might want to look into your own internal security, General Noa," Jack says, "The rot might be inside your own apple."

The remark is not meant as an insult, and Bright does not take it as such, instructing, "Lt. Col. MacKenzie, 1Lt. Gardner: I want you two to liaison with the Department of Internal Affairs and do a thorough audit of our own High Command...myself and my staff included."

"Yes, sir," the two officers reply dutifully.

General Noa turns to the next piece of business, "This girl...Jolie Minh, who helped you recover the Gundam-100 prototype..."

"Yes, sir," Athena says, "We'll need to have our experts run tests on her to be sure, but based on my own judgment, she is a Level 5 Newtype."

"Level 5," General Noa's eyes widen in astonishment, "I haven't seen a Newtype that powerful since Judau Ashta."

"Yes, sir," Athena continues, "and she has extraordinary combat instincts and reflexes. Despite using a crude mobile suit she assembled from scrap parts, she was able to hold her own against Kissingham's Gundam-100 for a few minutes."

"Why did you not bring her to this debriefing?" General Noa asks.

"Jolie Minh is a rather irrepressible character, General," Athena answers, "Moreover, I decided that due to the sensitive nature of our discussion, it's probably in everyone's best interests if she were not present."

General Noa nods, and Captain Kenta, speaking for the first time at the conference, remarks, "Sounds like a real wildcat, and what better way to begin my new career as a drill sergeant than by taming her?"

Athena betrays no outward reaction to Kenta's remark, but privately, she feels a wave of terror for Jolie. Athena figured that with Kissingham dead, somebody would be installed as the new training officer for the Londo Bell Special Forces, but she did not figure that Kenta would be the one to get the assignment.

"And here I thought you were done with this life," Jack says jokingly.

Ryusuke simply shrugs his shoulders and says, "Eh, I've been getting bored lately… breaking little punks and remaking them as soldiers is better than what I'm doing now, which is next to nothing."

General Noa rises from his seat, "With the Gundam-100 recovered, we have one matter left unresolved for this conference: the loss of Captains Kissingham and Tinne leave us shorthanded in the Londo Bell Special Forces. 1Lt. Ibaz, you demonstrated exceptional courage and ability in the recovery of the prototype. Therefore, on my authority as Supreme Commander of the Earth Federation Forces, I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain and assign you as commanding officer of the Centurion Team."

"Thank you, sir," Athena salutes.

* * *

Elsewhere at Revil Base, the RX-780 Gundam-100 has been housed in a secure hangar, which General Noa and Col. Cairlay have seen fit to ring with a heavily armed security detail, including several dozen Special Forces ground troops and six Re-Zel mobile suits from Captain Faith "Skoo" Koo's Raptor Team, commanded by Captain Koo herself.

Skoo's Re-Zel turns its head camera to regard the Gundam-100 on its maintenance dock. Though the damage it sustained has already been completely repaired by Penelope Spencer and her team, Dr. Kamille Bidan (walking on crutches and his leg set in a cast) and a team of Earth Federation Forces engineers, mechanics, and technicians perform a complete inspection, while also re-arming and refueling the Gundam.

Col. Peter Cairlay enters the hangar, and the Earth Federation Forces personnel salute the colonel; Kamille's response is much more subdued, settling for a courteous, though half-hearted nod of the head.

"We were very fortunate to recover it intact," Cairlay remarks with grin that Kamille wishes he could wipe off with five tightly closed fingers, but Kamille's temporary disability and the mellowing that years have brought to his temper compel Kamille to keep his peace and answer through words that have not lost their bite.

"Fortunate indeed," Kamille rejoins severely, "no thanks to your slipshod internal security."

Cairlay reddens, but holds his temper, "I confess...we were remiss, as far as Kissingham was concerned."

"What plans do you have for it now?" Kamille asks, indicating the Gundam-100.

"It will be assigned to one of our Special Forces teams," Cairlay answers, "most likely the Centurion Special Operations Team, commanded by Captain Athena Ibaz."

"Ibaz?" Kamille says, unfamiliar with the name.

"Yes," Cairlay tells him, "a relatively inexperienced, but highly capable young officer. She will be replacing Captain Rick Tinne, who perished during the recovery operation."

"I see," Kamille answers, "Huh. I suppose the name 'Centurion Gundam' is far less unwieldy a designation than 'Gundam-100.' Will Captain Ibaz be piloting it?"

"Perhaps," Col. Cairlay says, "but we're looking at developing a Newtype pilot whom we're in the process of inducting into the Londo Bell Special Forces. Her name is Jolie Minh, a civilian from Industria Colony who assisted Captain Ibaz in the recovery of the Gun...the Centurion Gundam."

Kamille chuckles, "That explains a lot."

"Dr. Bidan?" Cairlay's eyebrow rises.

"Nothing," Kamille says curtly, "Nothing. Just a stray thought."

Privately, Kamille thinks, _It explains the powerful Newtype presence that I began feeling this morning...but I'm having a hard time discerning...is it one presence, or two?_

* * *

Aboard the _Garancieres_ , about to depart Side 7 for Side 3, Marida Cruz hums to herself, a grin on her face as she performs maintenance on her mobile suit.

 _This is weird_ , Marida's partner, Loni Garvey, thinks to herself, _in all the time I've known Marida, I've never seen her so...cheerful before._

Marida closes a maintenance hatch on the mobile suit, and with a sprightly jump, boosts herself to the gantry, where she grabs Loni around the waist and plants a passionate kiss on the other woman's lips.

Loni, recovering her breath, says, "Not that I'm complaining...but what has gotten into you?"

"What?" Marida teases through a grin.

"Ever since this morning, you've been acting like somebody painted unicorns and rainbows on your eyeballs," Loni remarks, "It's weird considering you've been an unholy terror since we stopped at Phobos."

"For starters," Marida tells her partner, "that annoying Michaels kid is gone."

"Yeah, I figured that had something to do with," Loni observes.

"...and a little while after he left," Marida continues, "the headaches I'd been having since Phobos went away! Not just went away, but I've been feeling...really good. In a way I don't think I ever have."

"Well I hope the mood lasts," Loni smiles, "we're shipping out for Side 3 in an hour."

* * *

"...and that's how I came here," Jolie finishes telling Jonah, nearly two hours after their first encounter.

"I see," Jonah says, transfixed by Jolie's eyes, hair, and...those legs! The joy he feels in her presence, however, is dampened by a realization that is brought back to the fore by her next remark.

"I'm gonna be an Earth Federation Forces mobile suit pilot like my daddy was, and I'm gonna avenge him, my mom, and my brother on that pig Miguel," Jolie says in a wistful tone that clashes with the fact that she is fantasizing about committing homicide.

A chill runs down Jonah's spine; he had heard it earlier when Jolie told him her life story, but he has been in denial...he wants to believe that Jolie did not tell him that it had been Alexander Miguel, Jonah's own older brother, who had destroyed Quebec Colony and killed Jolie's parents and brother along with tens of thousands of other citizens on Jolie's tenth birthday.

"Are you sure that's what you want," Jonah ventures when he finds his voice, "Does killing someone fulfill anything meaningful to you?"

"Now you're sounding like Penny," Jolie says wryly, surprised that Jonah isn't fully behind her.

"Penny?" Jonah asks, hoping the change the subject.

"Penny Spencer," Jolie tells him, "a friend I met on the way here. Anyway, I've told you my story, what about yours?"

Jonah swallows before answering nervously, "Well, I'm from...the Outer Solar System…"

Jolie's eyes widen in surprise, "All the way out there? That place is crawling with Zekes!"

"Yes," Jonah says, "I left because I didn't want to serve in the Zeon military. I'm a painter, not a soldier."

"But you came all the way here to join the Earth Federation Forces, silly boy," Jolie says with a grin.

"That wasn't my original plan either," Jonah answers, relieved to get away from the subject of his brother, "but on the way here, I saw Zeon mobile suits destroy a civilian space colony at Frontier 8. Tens of thousands of people died, and I...I felt had to do something."

"You're kind of wimpy," Jolie observes in her straightforward way, and then, leaning her head on Jonah's shoulder, "but you're also kind of brave. I like that."

Jonah strokes her hair, wonderful to the touch, "Then we'd better get enlisted if we're going to do this."

"Yeah," Jolie nods.

Hand-in-hand, the young couple makes their way to the recruiters' office at Revil Base.

* * *

General Alexander Miguel and 1Lt. Kyoko Yamaguchi of the Phobos Zeon Forces return to Miguel Manor for the first time in weeks. Their recent campaign at Frontier 8 having been frustrated by unexpectedly resilient resistance, General Miguel is a brooding storm of quietly seething anger as he enters his palatial home.

"My lord," Roland, the _majordomo_ of the manor bows respectfully, "Master Jonah is missing."

"Missing?" Alexander replies, his demeanor troubled, "How long, Roland?"

"More than 21 days now, my lord," Roland answers, "and you should know that Madame Nanai is here."

"Thank you, Roland," Alexander answers, handing the man his coat. He turns to Kyoko and says, "Kyoko, go make yourself at home for a few minutes. I need to speak with Nanai."

"Yes, my lord," Kyoko answers, watching Alexander with troubled thoughts of her own as he goes.

* * *

Alexander finds Nanai seated comfortably on a couch in his capacious office. More than six months have passed since her last visit. The years since the passing of Char have been, for the most part, kind upon her feminine beauty, though a few premature white hairs reflect the stresses of the intervening time.

"You've been away for some time," Nanai says, almost tauntingly, "a difficult campaign, I understand."

"Don't play games, Nanai," Alexander says darkly to his elder sister, "if you're here for a reason, speak on it."

"Jonah," Nanai says.

"...has been missing for 21 days, Roland tells me," Alexander says, pouring a drink for his sister and another for himself, "I know as much as you do."

"You might know one thing I don't," Nanai challenges, "Why did he leave?"

Alexander sips his brandy, "Most likely because he did not wish to serve in the Phobos Zeon Forces. That was the subject of our last discussion before he left."

"Do you find it appropriate or necessary for him to join you in battle, Alexander?" Nanai asks, "He's only seventeen."

"A year older than I was when I began serving alongside our father," Alexander points out, "and the same age as Father was when he his brothers joined the military. Jonah is a Miguel, Nanai. He is under an obligation to honor the family's heritage."

"He is not cut out for a soldier, Alexander," Nanai says with a tired sigh, "He never was, and no matter how much you wish otherwise, he never will be."

"He still has an obligation to serve Phobos," Alexander insists

"Then you should have made him a diplomat," Nanai snaps angrily, "Sent him down to the Scarlet Citadel on Mars. Alicia would have adored him!" Nanai takes a moment to regain her composure, "Do you plan on trying to find him?"

"I have no time to waste with Jonah's affairs," Alexander answers dismissively, "and I do not have the resources to spare to search for him. You may do so, if you wish."

"If you won't, I will," Nanai says, rising from the sofa, "you might be lacking in resources, but I'm not."

"Speaking of resources," Alexander changes the subject, "how goes the development of the new weapons platform?"

"Once I've finished analyzing the new combat data, the Elmeth Gamma will begin its final battery of tests next month," Nanai tells him, "but after its completion, I need to reconsider our further cooperation."

"I see," Alexander replies coldly, "do you care to stay for supper?"

Nanai does not answer him, leaving silently.

* * *

Nanai walks into her office aboard the _Rewloola_ and gives a stressed sigh as she closes the door behind her. Brother or not, Alexander is, too often, a persona anathema.

Nanai takes to her her chair before saying, "Quess Paraya, I have a favor to ask you."

On que, Quess Paraya, or at least, her psychic essence, materializes in Nanai's room...this time wearing her old school outfit. "Whatcha need Nanai?"

Though hardly the first time that the apparition has appeared in her presence, Nanai cannot help but feel slightly unnerved as she tells the disembodied wraith, "My youngest Brother, Jonah, ran away from home and is likely headed towards the Earth," she explains, "I want you to find him and keep tabs on him for me...and tell him...tell him I'm sorry for not helping him with Alex."

There follows a brief flash, and now the deceased teen is wearing Postal Service Khakis. "On it boss lady," she says with a mock salute.

"Oh... and Char says hi."

With that, Quess has gone to search for Jonah.

* * *

At Side 7, Jolie and Jonah finally leave the recruiter's office at 14:59, having spent the past four and a half hours filling out forms, submitting to interviews, and undergoing a battery of physical, emotional, and mental tests. Having declared the pair fit for recruitment, the recruiting officers have instructed Jolie and Jonah to report to the training grounds at 04:00 the following morning. Until then, they have the next thirteen hours to themselves.

"We've got all this time to kill," Jonah remarks, "what do we do and where do we go? I literally arrived here with the clothes on my back."

"I've got a little bit more than that," Jolie grins, "I've got it stashed in a locker back at the spaceport, but yeah...I've got no place to stay and nothing to wear except what you see on me."

... _which isn't much_ , Jonah thinks, but does not verbalize.

Jolie, however, picks up on it anyway, "Hey, I heard that!"

Jonah laughs nervously, knowing that some thoughts would need to be guarded.

"Hmmm?" Jolie responds, dismayed, "It's gone! I can't read you!"

"It's OK," Jonah says, "It comes and goes like that sometimes, I think."

"What am I thinking now?" Jolie says with a smile, opening her mind to him.

"To the spaceport to get your stuff?" Jonah ventures, "And then...shopping?"

"Yep," Jolie answers, taking his hand and tugging him along.

* * *

"That girl Jolie is the most powerful Newtype we've ever encountered," Col. Peter Cairlay tells Admiral Manron Blackhead inside the latter's office, "Athena Ibaz had the foresight to recruit her into the Federation Forces."

"Such an asset is rare," Blackhead agrees, "and it is imperative that we capitalize on it. Used correctly, Minh could provide us the advantage we need to make this Earth Federation everything it should be. What other information do you have on her?"

"Ibaz's notes are very thorough," Cairlay indicates, "Minh's father served as a Titans pilot stationed at Dakar during the Gryps Conflict, and thereafter shifted to civil defense duties at Side 5. She has quite a family history with the Earth Federation Forces going back two generations...all dedicated pro-Federation patriots."

Blackhead smiles, "Then she will be easy to manipulate. Make sure she's inducted into the Londo Bell Special Forces, Cairlay, and…who will be responsible for her training?"

"Captain Ryusuke Kenta," Cairlay informs him, "a One Year War veteran. Compiled quite a combat record with the terrestrial forces."

Blackhead frowns, "It would have been better if one of our own people were to supervise her training, but no matter. Keep careful tabs on this one, Cairlay."

"Yes, sir," Cairlay salutes.

* * *

At the Side 7 Spaceport, Jolie has Jonah cover her back as she opens a locker in one of the spaceport's many corridors. She only opens the locker very briefly, but when Jonah turns around, she is stuffing a large wad of Federation legal tender bills into his hands.

"What th'...?" Jonah says, surprised to see so much cash just casually stored in a spaceport locker.

"The proceeds from the sale of the junkyard back at Industria Colony that I told you about," Jolie grins.

"Is it safe to stash that much cash in a spaceport rent-a-locker?" Jonah whispers to her discreetly, putting the cash that Jolie handed him into the inner pockets of his jacket.

"Probably not," Jolie answers, "but I couldn't think of anything else. I can't open a bank account. I don't have an ID except the Federal Forces recruit ID that we just got issued. But maybe...Haro!"

Haro bounces up and down, "Jolie! Jolie! Jolie!"

"Jonah and I are going into town," Jolie tells the robot ball, "you watch over the locker until we get back and...Jonah, do you have a phone?"

Jonah shakes his head.

Jolie sighs, "Well, watch over the locker anyway, Haro. Try to chase away any suspicious characters and get a decent video and sound recording of anyone who passes by, OK?"

"Haro watches! Haro watches! Haro watches!" the spheroid chirps happily.

"Yeah, and don't call attention to the locker, OK?" Jolie tells Haro, "We'll be back for you later."

The couple leaves, not noticing the man who steps from the shadows behind them.

Captain Ryusuke Kenta's eye gleams as his phone vibrates.

"Kenta here," he answers.

"Did you find her?" the voice of Captain Athena Ibaz asks.

"Yeah," Kenta affirms, "And it looks like she's picked up a boyfriend."

"That's the reason I lost her," Athena sighs.

"I'll make sure she reports for the beginning of training," Kenta affirms again, "This guy with her...he's something special too."

"Oh?" Athena's voice sounds surprised.

"Yeah, I'll tell you more about it later," the veteran replies before hanging up.

* * *

Jolie and Jonah next stop by Green Oasis City's shopping and retail district to purchasing some new clothing. They are cognizant of the fact that they will both be in Earth Federation Forces cadet uniforms soon, so acquiring a huge wardrobe of civilian clothing is not necessary or even desirable at this point. Nonetheless, Jonah has been wearing the same clothing that he left Phobos Fortress in nearly a month ago, and Jolie has been wearing her simple outfit for several years. Clearly, a change is in order before their night on the town.

Jonah keeps it simple: a t-shirt bearing the image of the Vincent Van Gogh painting, "The Starry, Starry Night," a new pair of blue jeans, brown loafers (oddly matched with white socks), and a blue and yellow jacket cut in the style of a high school letterman's jacket...a somewhat ironic choice considering that Jonah has long been a 54 kg weakling as unathletic as they come.

Jonah walks out of the men's clothing store and steps three doors down the street to a young women's boutique just as Jolie is stepping out. Jonah stops breathing for approximately ten seconds as his eyes fall upon Jolie, dressed in a new white crop-top, a light blue, EXTREMELY short and loose denim micro-miniskirt, and white flip flops.

Jolie waves her hand in front of Jonah's eyes as she notices the mesmerized expression on his face, "Hey! What's the matter with you?!"

Jonah finally exhales, "You...you're...beautiful...wow."

Pleased by the compliment, Jolie grins and takes Jonah's hand, "Come on! I hear there's a club here called the Andromeda that's really rockin'!"

"Um…" Jonah begins uncertainly.

"Oh, COME ON," Jolie insists, "After we begin training, who knows if and when we get to do this again?!"

Unable to do anything but give in, Jonah lets Jolie drag him to the Andromeda Nightclub.

* * *

" _It's been a long time since I rock and rolled!  
It's been a long time since I did the Stroll!  
Oh let me get it back let me get it back!  
Let me get it back baby where I come from!"_

The power chords and screeching vocal of the ancient Led Zeppelin song shakes the walls of the Andromeda Nightclub, the hottest of hotspots in Green Oasis City. Tonight is Retro Rock Nite, and the house band is rocking the house with classic tunes from rock 'n roll's first decades.

Jolie and Jonah twist the night away to the music, their slim, youthful bodies moving in coordination with the rhythm of the music.

" _It's been a long time been a long time  
Been a long lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time!  
Yes it has!  
It's been a long time since the book of love!  
I can't count the tears of a life with no love!  
Carry me back carry me back  
Carry me back, baby, where I come from!"_

The dance floor...indeed the entire club, is packed with its typical clientele for a Saturday night - young couples like Jolie and Jonah, hipsters and wannabes, well-heeled businesspeople looking to blow some steam, young Earth Federation Forces officers, and a motley collection of freaks, including a gang of youths wearing kabuki makeup and dressed in leather attire that oddly combines traditional Japanese garb with modern street fashions.

" _It's been a long time, been a long time  
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time  
Seems so long since we walked in the moonlight  
Making vows that just can't work right  
Open your arms, opens your arms  
Open your arms, baby, let my love come running in  
It's been a long time, been a long time  
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time!"_

The band takes a short breather, and so do Jolie and Jonah, who have already been dancing for more than an hour. Their bodies are drenched in sweat, which to Jonah's eye, makes Jolie all the more irresistible.

The couple takes to the bar. The barkeep, never known to be scrupulous about checking IDs, dishes up two Singapore Gin Slings.

"This place hops pretty hard," Jolie says to the barkeep, sipping the gin.

"Great place to party and to work," the barkeep says, but then sighs, "too bad we're closing down after next week."

"Closing down?" Jonah asks, "but business looks great!"

"Business _is_ great," the barkeep confirms, "but the owners...well, let's say they're in a spot of trouble. They can't keep running the place, so unless they can find a buyer in the next few days, I'm gonna need a new job."

Jolie is about to say something when the band's singer counts in the next song with a, "One, two, three, FUCK!"

The guitars, bass, and drums kick in an old Beatles classic:

" _Well she was just seventeen!  
You know what I mean!  
And the way she looked  
Was way beyond compare!  
So how could I dance with another,  
Oh, when I saw her standing there!"_

Jolie and Jonah rush back to the dance floor, laughing and spinning, causing Jolie's shorter-than-short miniskirt to spin around her pelvis like a small flying saucer.

The crowd begins to close into a tighter and tighter spot as the dance floor fills. One of the kabuki-styled youths, a tall, gaunt, rather sinister looking character, reaches under Jolie's miniskirt, getting a good feel of her bottom.

Jolie turns furiously on the offender, the kanji characters for his surname, "中沢" ("Nakazawa") embroidered in stylized _kanji_ calligraphy on the upper left breast of leather jacket, and rocks him with a punch across the jaw that draws blood from his cheek.

"Fuck off, CREEP!" Jolie snarls.

Nakazawa, his facial "warpaint" a ghastly white with a red "Rising Sun" motif decorating his left eye, wipes the blood from the corner of his lip and says, "Anata wa o shiri no hottona hitoridesu! Watashi to dansu, beibī!"

One of Nakazawa's lieutenants, another kabuki-styled youth named Futabayama, translates for Jolie's benefit in a leering tone, "Our _Shogun_ Nakazawa says that you're a hot piece of ass, and you must dance with him!"

"Hey!" Jonah snaps, pushing Futubayama away and pointing threateningly at Nakazawa.

With a flick of his head, Nakazawa instructs more of his kabuki-adorned underlings, the backs of their leather jackets bearing a logo reading, " 歌舞伎スインガー" ("Kabuki Swingers"), to rid of him of this annoyance. In response, one decorated with a star motif and another with a cat theme shove Jonah back towards a booth, where the young artist collapses on a table.

Jolie responds with a lightning quick kick to Nakazawa's neck that sends the Japanese youth reeling. She is about to follow up with a strike to the man's nose when the club security come between the combatants.

In the midst of the action, the band begins to play another song…

" _Oh yeah! It was like lightning!  
Everybody was fighting!  
And the music was soothing!  
And they all started grooving!  
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah!  
And the man in the back said everyone attack!  
And it turned into a ballroom blitz!  
And the girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you!  
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz!  
Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz!"_

"All right! Out of here, all of you!" the security man stares at them all severely.

Jolie ignores him, checking on Jonah. The young artist is stunned...the breath knocked out of him, but otherwise not seriously injured.

"You OK?" Jolie asks.

"Yeah...I'm fine," Jonah answers a bit dazedly.

"Let's get out of here," she says, eyeing the Kabuki Swingers with fiery eyes that dares them to try anything else.

Taking off and holding her flip flops, Jolie takes Jonah's hand and leads him out of the nightclub and into the street.

"Where to now?" Jonah asks.

"Back to the locker," Jolie says, grinning, "Did you hear what the barman said? The owner of the Andromeda is looking to sell!"

"Wait a minute," Jonah says, "You don't mean you want to…?"

"Uh-huh," Jolie nods, "It'd be a shame to let such a wild place just close like that!"

"But we're about to become Federation officer cadets," Jonah says soberly, "When are you going to even have time to manage such a business?"

"I haven't thought about that yet," Jolie admits, "I'll figure it out."

 _She really has an impulse control problem_ , Jonah thinks, before wincing and biting his lip.

"Hey!" Jolie protests.

"Sorry," Jonah answers sheepishly, "stray thought."

"Uh-huh," Jolie says again, "And I bet…"

Jolie stops short as she finds Nakazawa and three other Kabuki Swingers blocking their path. From another side, four more approach...all of them carrying sharpened _bokken_. True to their name, they swing their wooden weapons, making ominous slicing sounds through the colony's reprocessed air.

Nakazawa points his wooden blade at the couple and says in an unmistakably threatening tone, "Anata wa Kabuki Swingers ichizoku no meiyo o kizutsukemashita. Anata no shi wa, watashitachi ga sono meiyo o kaifuku suru tame ni hitsuyōdesu. Shikashi, mazu, on'nanoko wa kanojo no shojo o shiharaudeshou (For the honor of the Kabuki Swingers, both of you must pay with your lives. And you, girl, must pay extra with your virginity)!"

Neither Jolie nor Jonah being conversant in Japanese, the couple has no idea what Kanazana's words mean, but both the tone and the hostile spirit emanating from the sinister-looking youth assure them that his intentions are not benign.

"Va te faire foutre (Fuck you, freak)!" Jolie snarls back at Nakazawa, in a tongue she hasn't used since childhood.

Nakazawa answers, "Furansugo? Chūgokujin no on'nanoko ga furansugo o hanasu koto ni kyōmigārimasu (French? Interesting. A Chinese chick who speaks French)."

Tired of wasting her breath and time with the Swingers, Jolie takes Jonah by the hand again and charges towards Nakazawa.

The Swingers raise their bokken and slash at Jolie, who lets go of Jonah's hand, somersaults through the air, and thrusts her right knee into Nakazawa's forehead, Nakazawa down.

Jolie takes Jonah's hand again, urging him to "RUN!"

Nakazawa arises, helped by his minions. The eight Kabuki Swingers pursue Jolie and Jonah, their weapons murderous, their battle howls chilling.

A mere twenty meters ahead, Jonah pants, "Jolie! Where are we going?!"

"To the locker!" Jolie replies.

"Locker, now?!" Jonah's eyes widen, "But those…!"

"Just shut up and run!" Jolie answers, "You'll see when we get there!"

The chase continues...one kilometer, two, three...until they arrive in the corridor of the spaceport where Jolie has her stash.

Haro's eyes flash upon seeing them, "JOLIE! JOLIE! JOLIE!"

"Haro!" Jolie says, beginning to work the combo lock to the locker, "protect Jonah and hold those goons off!"

Haro rolls towards the Kabuki Swingers, tripping a few of them and slowing the rest down.

"C'mon...C'MON!" Jolie grits her teeth as works to open the locker door.

A Swinger takes a swipe at Jonah with his _bokken_. Jonah anticipates the strike and is able to avoid it, and a second, but trips over his feet and falls on the ground. Haro dives in to block a third strike before it cracks Jonah's skull open.

Nakazawa gets around Haro and slices at Jolie, forcing her away from the locker before she can pull it open. She deftly avoids his blade, using intricate footwork that appears to be a different kind of dance, then performing a spinning roundhouse kick that catches Nakazawa aside his head, knocking him down.

Jolie takes advantage of the moment to pull an item out of the locker...the ancient _Minh Jian_! She unsheathes the centuries-old Chinese sword, its blade gleaming in the corridor lights.

The sight of the sword in Jolie's hand causes the Swingers to pause in uncertainty and fear, which becomes sheer terror as Jolie shrieks out a fierce battle cry and CHARGES at them, a swing of the Minh Jian instantly bisecting two of the eight _bokken_!

The Kabuki Swingers, led by Nakazawa, begin to bolt towards the exit as Jolie pursues them.

"Jolie...WAIT!" Jonah cries out, chasing after Jolie and the Swingers.

Haro bounces up and down, "Jolie, WAIT! Jolie, WAIT!"

 _Minh Jian_ in hand, Jolie sprints after the fleeing Kabuki Swingers. Targeting Nakazawa, Jolie leaps onto the roof of a nearby parked vehicle to use it as a springboard to launch herself in a aerial somersault that brings her directly into the Swingers' path.

The Swingers scream and turn tail, all but falling over each other to flee from Jolie, who trips Nakazawa with a sweep of her foot, straddles his fallen form, and pummels his face with the pommel of the _Minh Jian_ , breaking teeth and cartilage.

"Jolie, stop! You'll kill him!" Jonah calls out, running towards the scene. As much as he adores Jolie and feels an inexplicable connection to her, Jonah sees that the girl demonstrates a vicious, brutal streak completely at odds with his gentle, compassionate nature.

Jonah's eyes widen in horror as Jonah sees Jolie lift the blade over her head to plunge it down on Nakazawa with murderous intent.

From the shadows, a second blade, a katana, lances out like a bolt of lightning, blocking Jolie's fatal strike and knocking the _Minh Jian_ out of her hand and across the ground.

Jolie and Jonah stare at a tall, athletically built man wearing a duster coat, a large fedora, and combat boots. They catch a glimpse of him resheathing a katana.

"Th' hell are you?!" Jolie demands challengingly

Ignoring Jolie for a moment, Kenta helps Nakazawa to his feet, and says to him, "Boku wa anata ga mae ni toraburu kara nogareru yō ni keikoku shimashita. Boku wa koko de Jolie ni anata o yame sasetaku narimasu. Ki ga kawaru mae ni maigoninaru (I've warned you before to stay out of trouble. I feel tempted to let Jolie here finish you off. Now get lost before I change my mind)."

Having heard Kenta's remarks, Nakazawa does not need any more encouragement, slinking down the street to rejoin his comrades. "And Nakazawa," he calls out, "I ever hear you make demands like that again, and you're gonna end up a eunuch."

Jolie is about to give chase when Kenta blocks her path with his arm, "It's done. Don't press your luck."

Jonah asks, "What'd they want anyways?"

"Your lives and her virginity," Kenta answers plainly.

Jonah's expression darkens, and his hands clench into fists.

Jonah turns to Jolie, "Give me your sword...I'm going after that bastard."

"Let it go," the older man tells him, "They've already been beaten…they already know what will happen if they try again…there's no need to have their blood on your hands."

"You still haven't told us who the hell you are!" Jolie retorts hotly.

"Captain Ryusuke Kenta, Earth Federation Forces," Kenta answers.

Jolie's eyes widen, "You...you're Captain Kenta?"

"You two have about five hours before you need to report for training," Kenta says to them, "You'd better get some rest while you can."

So saying, Kenta disappears into the shadows.

"Wow," Jonah says, agape, "He's like a character out of an old ninja movie."

"Meh," Jolie shrugs, "He doesn't seem so tough."

"Where are we going to stay tonight?" Jonah thinks to ask.

Jolie grins and points to an elegant glass skyscraper towering about a half kilometer away...the "Hotel Centinela."

"That place looks expensive," Jonah says apprehensively.

Jolie shows him a big wad of cash, "I've got MONEY, remember?"

Jonah grins, "You plan to blow it all at once?"

"Yes," she says, "after we actually join the Federation Forces, how long you figure we're gonna live?"

Point taken, Jonah follows Jolie.

* * *

On the way to the Hotel Centinela, Jolie and Jonah stop by the Andromeda Nightclub again, which is _en route_ to the hotel. Jolie wants to see the proprietors, Michael and David, but is confronted by security personnel, who recognize her as the instigator of the altercation with the Kabuki Swingers earlier in the evening. Jolie literally shoves them aside and beats a path to the owners, who share a booth at the back of the main lounge area.

"Are you guys Michael and David, the owners of this joint?" Jolie demands.

"And who are you, Miss…?" Michael asks, sipping from his drink.

"Just call me Jolie," Jolie says, "I've got a proposition for ya!"

Jonah watches Jolie silently and nervously; she had admonished him to let her do all the talking, which Jonah anticipates this will likely be how their budding relationship will develop hereafter.

"Proposition?" David says, eyeing his partner, business and personal, warily.

"Proposition!" Jolie repeats, lifting her silver, metallic valise onto the lounge table and opening it, "Three-hundred grand Federation credits!"

Michael removes his superfluous shades as he and David look incredulously at the cash. After handling it and verifying its authenticity, David asks, "How did you even know we were planning on selling?"

Jolie answers plainly, "Your barman told us."

Michael tells Jolie and Jonah, "We wish we didn't have to sell. Running this place for the past seven years has been a gas, and we have turned a comfortable profit. Unfortunately, we've...run into some local problems we can't discuss, and have to get the hell out of Side 7."

"Loan sharks? Mafia?" Jolie ventures.

"We're not talking about it," David says sternly, "All right. Frankly, your offer is kind of on the low end, but we'll take it because we can't afford to stick around here much longer. Our lawyer is in the house tonight. That's him over there, talking with those two barely dressed chicks. We'll call him over to do the necessary paperwork."

An hour later, Jolie and Jonah leave the Andromeda Nightclub, with legal documents in Jolie's hand naming her the nightclub's new proprietor.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jonah asks, as he and Jolie head towards the Hotel Centinela.

"Who th' hell knows," Jolie says, smiling at the documents in her hand, "I'm just gonna have fun with it and see where it goes."

"Hoo boy," Jonah sighs.

Jolie grabs his hand and tugs him into a sprint towards the Hotel Centinela.

* * *

Just as Jonah had feared, Jolie books the penthouse...the most expensive, most exclusive suite at the Hotel Centinela. Though they will be there fewer than five hours, this venture will cost Jolie another five grand.

Jolie hoists the silver metallic valise, which holds the remaining 195,000 Federation credits she has left, onto the table.

Jolie falls back onto the spacious bed, stretching her arms...her long, gorgeous legs completely exposed by her barely-there micro-mini skirt, sending an electric thrill running up and down Jonah's spine.

Jonah lies down next to her, placing the refined fingers of his delicate artist's hands on the warm, smooth texture of the skin of Jolie's thighs, reveling in the wonderful sensation.

Their lips lock, as on the street far below them, Earth Federation Forces MP jeeps bearing a platoon of heavily armed troops speed past the Hotel Centinela on the way to the Andromeda Nightclub...

* * *

Two dozen Earth Federation Forces MPs storm into the Andromeda Nightclub, causing general pandemonium and roughing up the regulars, which includes a number of other Federation officers.

Kicking aside tables and chairs and shoving uncooperative patrons to the walls, the MPs take over the club, their weapons drawn and aimed.

The leader of the platoon, a 2Lt. Stryker, gets into the face of the head security man and demands, "I want to see the club owners, NOW!"

The security man, not one to back down, answers, "They aren't here right now, and you're trespas…!"

Stryker, true to his name, strikes the security man with his fiberglass truncheon, breaking several teeth and bloodying his nose.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Stryker shouts, brutality in every syllable, "I'm with the Earth Federation Forces, and that gives me the right to DEMAND that you bring them out here, NOW!"

The security man, Antonio Balder, an AEUG resistance fighter in his day, is no pushover. Despite his broken teeth and nose, he hits back at Stryker, tackling the officer to the ground.

The Federation MPs try to get a bead on Balder, but are unable to do without also endangering their commanding officer.

Into the chaos of the club steps in a visibly agitated Col. Peter Cairlay, "That's enough! You men, come with me to the space port! On the double!"

Balder lets Stryker go, and the entire platoon follows Cairlay out of the club.

The troops having left, Balder orders the other security men, "All right...let's straighten the place out. Everyone else: sorry about that. Drinks are on the house for the next hour!"

A cheer greets the announcement of drinks on the house as the band strikes up another tune and the revelry continues.

* * *

Jolie and Jonah tumble out of bed at 03:00. Hurriedly getting into clothes and out of the room, the two sprint towards Revil Base. They reach the base perimeter by 03:16, get issued cadet uniforms and G.I. supplies, and are quickly ushered into an area where approximately forty other recruits are gathered.

The cadet uniforms given to Jolie and Jonah are indistinguishable from those issued to the junior members of the _White Base_ crew when they were inducted into the Earth Federation Forces after hastily fleeing from Side 7 in September, UC 0079 - right down to the pink color scheme for Jolie's female cadet uniform and the baby blue color scheme of the male cadet uniform worn by Jonah.

"Yecch," Jolie complains, "When the hell did they design these?! 1979?! I mean seriously...PINK?!"

The pink tunic/jacket is not even the worst part. Most of all, Jolie hates the tight-fitting white trousers that come with it. Though form-fitting enough to highlight the splendid shapeliness of her slender legs, the trousers also cover all of her skin, which she dislikes as much for the discomfort as she does for vanity.

Jonah helps Jolie to zip up the collar, which she would prefer to leave open, but both quickly forget about the cadet uniforms when they spot several vaguely, uncomfortably familiar figures.

Hardly recognizable scrubbed of their kabuki makeup, the Kabuki Swingers stand dressed in the same cadet uniforms, including Nakazawa!

The gang slinks away upon sighting Jolie, clearly wanting no part of another confrontation with her.

Jolie licks her lips and punches the palm of her left hand with the closed fist of her right as she marches towards them, stopping when Jonah places a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head.

It is at this point that Captain Ryusuke Kenta appears, dressed in the same ensemble from last night.

Kenta stares them down as if they were the lowest form of scum life; in the captain's view, they are indeed little more."When I took this job, I knew to keep my expectations low, but I didn't think I'd get a batch of cupcake cock clowns with a side order of fuck nuggets. You all reek of either poverty and child abuse, or wealth and an overbearing sense of self-entitlement! Well you better throw that out now because for the next eight weeks, you're in Hell, and I'm the Devil. I don't care who mommy and daddy are, what your gender is, and I especially don't give a flying FUCK about your race. You are all completely worthless until I say otherwise. You are all failures, and it falls to me to make something of you. So I promise you that I will reorganize the collective failure that is all your lives. I will FUCKSTART YOUR SOULS! In the eight weeks you are here, you're gonna get your collective anal cavities stretched so far apart you'll think you're getting double fisted by Dozle Zabi himself! As it is, you would all die a horrible death if you deployed in combat now, but fear not. For in eight weeks time I'll turn you cock monarchs into FUCK MASTERS OF GALACTIC DESTRUCTION!"

He walks down the line before stopping at Jonah. "What's your name, son?!"

"J-Jonah M-Michaels, sir!" Jonah stammers.

"No, your name is Private Mud, because all you do is slow everyone else down! This is because you are the single weakest person here!"

Jonah gulps, terrified, while Jolie seems barely able to stifle her giggles.

"You find this funny, Minh?" Kenta says calmly.

"Fuckstart your souls!" Jolie laughs hysterically.

"It seems you're lacking in discipline," Ryusuke noted, "So you'll be cleaning the showers with a toothbrush tonight… and I want to see 50 pushups, right now!"

"Push THIS up!" Jolie snarls, swiping at Kenta with her right fist.

To her surprise, the man isn't even fazed by the uppercut to the chin… in fact, he is completely unharmed...and unamused.

"You really must be a masochist," he comments, his voice dark with anger.

Suddenly, Jolie finds herself gasping for air…after Kenta punches her in the solar plexus...she never saw it coming.

"Do yourself a favor and stay down," the seasoned warrior grunts, "It'll hurt less if you do."

There are looks of pity from the Kabuki Swingers in the group: they know just how vicious the Devil Kenta could be, having experienced his prowess firsthand.

Lacking the good sense to quit, Jolie steadies herself, and launches forward to attack again.

"Jolie, DON'T!" Jonah warns her.

Pain explodes in Jolie's skull as the world becomes a shimmer...then darkness.

* * *

She awakens ten minutes later, when Kenta splashes a bucket of ice cold water on her.

"Nakazawa," the veteran of the One Year War says to the leader of the Kabuki Swingers, "Explain to Cadet Chinky why you don't fuck with me."

Jolie opens her eyes to find Kenta and Nakazawa towering over here. Despite aching all over, she manages to ask, "W-where's Jonah…?"

"I've got your boyfriend running laps around the base, with 3kg weights strapped to each leg," Kenta tells her, "Don't worry about him; you've got yourself to worry about."

"I'd listen to him if I were you, Minh," Nakazawa says, his voice dripping with terror, "I don't have any reason to like you, other than the fact that you're one hot piece of ass I'd love to bone, but frankly, aside from that, I wouldn't mind at all if Kenta here pulverizes you. You're not dealing with a man, Minh...you're dealing with the Devil!"

Jolie glares at both Nakazawa and Kenta and mutters, "'Devil' my ass! I don't believe in devils!"

Kenta grins devilishly, "The fiery phoenix...unrepentant and unrelenting to the last. You'll learn, Minh. Trust me, you'll learn...or you'll die."

Kenta's icy gaze meets Jolie's fiery glare, and the message that Kenta reads in Jolie's mind is _challenge accepted._

"Get up, Minh," Kenta says coldly.

Jolie stubbornly remains on the ground.

"I said GET UP, DAMMIT!" Kenta snarls, bodily lifting Jolie to her feet.

"Get your hands OFF of me!" Jolie retorts, struggling in his grasp.

"Your boyfriend is getting lonely running by himself on the base perimeter," Kenta says, "Each of you: twenty laps before 15:00. Don't forget that I have a big say in the team assignments, Minh. How would you like to get assigned to a GM-II patrol out at Frontier 8 while Jonah makes the Centurion Team?"

Jolie stares daggers at Kenta, but for Jonah's sake, begins to run the perimeter of the base.

* * *

Kenta's phone rings; the call is from Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, Deputy Director of the Londo Bell Special Forces.

"What can I do you for, Angel?" Kenta answers with surprising tenderness for one who, just a minute earlier, had been as harsh as the desert sand.

"How is the training of the new recruits going," Christina asks him, "especially that kid Jolie Minh?"

"Hah," Kenta answers with some amusement, "Working to break 'em to remake 'em, but I've got to say about this kid, Minh...she's one stubborn little bitch. Gonna need a lot of work, but maybe not as much as her boyfriend...that Jonah Michaels kid."

"Oh?" Christina says, intrigued.

"Yeah," Kenta replies, "There's something about both of them, but that Michaels...clearly milkfed and well-bred. Not exactly military material, but he's got...a talent. We can make something of him, but like I said: it's going to take lots of work."

"Don't work too hard," Christina says, a smile in her voice.

"It's the best way...the only way," Kenta tells her, "Besides, I'm used to it."

"I meant the kids," Christina says teasingly, "Don't break them to the point that there isn't much left worth reassembling!"

* * *

Jolie catches up to Jonah on what is his sixth, and her first lap.

"Yo!" Jolie says, pulling up to him.

"You...too?" Jonah puffs. Never a fantastic athlete, the only physical activity that Jonah could perform with any kind of proficiency during his recently completed high school days was track...a byproduct, perhaps, of years of fleeing from schoolyard bullies. Though unlikely to ever win a marathon, he is managing to run Captain Kenta's laps without collapsing...so far.

"You think I'd let you suffer this alone?" Jolie says, winking.

Jonah reaches out for her hand, which she offers. They run hand in hand…

Without warning, Kenta appears, bullwhip in hand, and cracks it just inches from their hands.

"YOU'RE HERE TO TRAIN, NOT HOLD HANDS LIKE A LOVEY DOVEY COUPLE! DO THAT ON YOUR TIME, NOT MINE!" the devilish man thunders.

The couple yelps in unison before tearing away faster down the street.

"Was that…?" Jonah asks dubiously.

"...yeah, it was," Jolie confirms.

"In this day and age?" Jonah wonders.

Jolie shrugs, then gazes skyward, "Whoa! Look at that!"

Jonah follows her gaze; though never much of an enthusiast for military hardware, even he cannot help but be awed by the mechanical marvel that is the RX-780 Centurion Gundam, drifting overhead in what is undoubtedly a test run.

"'Thena must be in the cockpit," Jolie observes.

"'Thena?" Jonah answers, "You mean that 1Lt. Athena Ibaz you keep telling me about?"

"Yeah," Jolie confirms, "the one who brought me here! HEY, 'THENA!"

Jolie waves at the mobile suit, but it is doubtful if _Captain_ Athena Ibaz (Jolie being unaware of her friend's recent promotion), newly assigned commanding officer of the Centurion Team, indeed at the controls of the RX-780, sees or hears Jolie. Athena is focused on putting the Centurion Gundam through its paces, racing the mobile suit at 145 kmh on its powerful, turbine-driven legs.

Athena turns the Centurion Gundam around on a dime, and reaches its left arm backwards to extract the mobile suit's beam saber from its backpack thruster/generator unit...the armored fingers finding purchase around the weapon, extracting it, activating it, and swinging its blade of superheated Minovsky particles elegantly and gracefully with a medieval knight's precision and skill.

Switching to the right hand, recently replaced along with the entire arm module by Penelope Spencer and her team of engineers, the Centurion Gundam reaches for an unarmed mobile suit-scaled machine gun, squeezing its trigger multiple times.

"Lift test!" a voice announces.

Athena directs the Centurion Gundam to an unactivated, but fully loaded RMS-106 Hizack that weighs in at 59.6 tons. The Centurion Gundam reaches out with its right hand, grips the Hizack's armor, and bodily lifts the inert mobile suit off the ground.

"That thing's...strong," Jonah remarks.

"You bet!" Jolie grins, "And I'm gonna pilot it again someday!"

The Centurion Gundam gently lowers the Hizack back into its standing position, just as Kenta comes up behind Jolie and Jonah and barks at them, "MOVE YOUR DAMN ASSES!"

* * *

Five minutes later, Athena exits the cockpit of the Centurion Gundam, removing the helmet of her silver and black normal suit to be greeted by Col. Peter Cairlay, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, and Dr. Kamille Bidan.

"Excellent work, Captain Ibaz," Kamille enthuses with a smile, "that test confirms that the repair work done to the RX-780 meets all requirements."

Athena nods, but adds, "It did fine in a test of its basic combat functions, but we won't really be able to test its limits until we assign it to a pilot who can use its capabilities to maximum capacity."

"Don't worry about that," Christina smiles, "Kenta is working on it."

* * *

In a weight room at the cadet training center, Jolie screams with effort as she benches a 50 kg barbell over her head for the tenth consecutive time.

Next to her, Jonah is experiencing an even greater struggle with a 60 kg barbell, all but fumbling it the ground, where it crashes with resounding crash.

Jolie drops her own barbell to the ground as she goes to check on Jonah, "You OK?"

"Back to your own workout, Cadet Chinky," Kenta scolds her.

Jolie sticks her tongue out at Kenta behind his back as he checks on the other recruits, but complies, hoisting the weight over her head again.

Kenta checks the time, 18:00, "All right. You're all dismissed to dinner and R&R. Lights out is at 20:00 tonight. That's 8:00 PM for those of you who don't know military time"

* * *

The recruits, dead tired from having trained more or less continuously since 05:00, gladly file into the mess hall for dinner. None of them even cares what they are eating...glad to just be eating at all.

Sitting across from each other on a bench-style communal dining table, Jolie and Jonah hold hands under the table, mechanically spooning food into their mouths and chewing.

They finish eating by 18:30, and then retire to the lounge. At 18:47, Kenta enters, bringing another officer with him.

"You've got a visitor, Cadet Minh," Kenta says.

Jolie's eyes widen and she breaks into a grin as she recognizes the visitor, "'THENA!'"

Athena appears in her Earth Federation Forces officers' uniform, now adorned with a combination cap, a black overcoat and white scarf draped over her shoulders.

"Sharp, 1Lt. Ibaz," Jolie teases.

"That's CAPTAIN Ibaz to you, Cadet," Kenta says, before leaving them in private.

"Captain? Really?" Jolie blinks, "Since when…?"

"Since yesterday morning," Athena says, removing her combination cap and overcoat, folding the latter elegantly and laying it aside as she takes a seat on the sofa, "You left rather abruptly."

"Yah, sorry," Jolie says sheepishly.

"Introduce your friend?" Athena says with a charming smile.

"Oh, oh yeah!" Jolie says, "Um...this is Jonah Michaels. Jonah, this is Lieuten...I mean, CAPTAIN Athena Ibaz! She's the one who brought me here from Industria Colony!"

Jonah rises and offers his hand politely to Athena, "Hello, ma'am."

Jonah finds Athena oddly...familiar. He cannot place where he has seen her, but there is something about Athena he finds unsettlingly familiar.

"Pleasure, Cadet Michaels," Athena smiles as she takes his hand. Jonah finds her very, very pretty...quite nearly as pretty as Jolie, especially when she smiles.

For her part, Athena senses that Jonah's Newtype power rivals Jolie's. _What are the odds?_ Athena marvels.

Jolie pipes up, "'Thena! Jonah...he's the one! The one I told you about back at Industria Colony! We're….!"

"Slow down," Athena says, "Take a breath and start from the beginning."

Jolie then recounts the story of what has transpired in the nearly two days since she parted ways with Athena at the Side 7 Spaceport.

Athena is left speechless, blinking at Jolie when she wraps up her story twenty minutes later, "You...BOUGHT the Andromeda Nightclub?!"

"YES!" Jolie enthuses, "The two dudes who used to own it, Michael and David or something, had to get rid of it quickly because they're in some kind of local trouble so I bought it off them for 300 grand! It's a steal!"

Athena sighs, "Where's the rest of the money that Jack paid you?"

"I have it stashed in a locker," Jolie tells her.

Athena covers her eyes and shakes her head, "Tell me exactly where. We need to open a bank account for you and get it deposited before somebody steals it."

Jonah nods encouragingly and Jolie leads Athena to the cadets' personal lockers, opening hers and handing Athena the silver valise containing what remains of her small fortune.

"I'll arrange for Captain Kenta to give you an hour or two off tomorrow so we can take care of this," Athena says, casually inserting a cigarette between her lips and lighting up.

"Meh," Jolie answers, as if she does not care. Judging from Jolie body language and facial expression, Athena can easily believe that she actually does not.

From the pocket of her coat, Athena extracts a small USB drive and tosses it to Jolie.

"What's this?" Jolie asks.

"Captain Kenta is building up your body to be suitable for duty as a Special Forces officer," Athena remarks, "This is to build up your mind."

"Thanks," Jolie answers noncommittally.

"Captain Kenta has informed me that you're proving quite a headache," Athena says, somewhat sternly.

"That KENTA!" Jolie says hotly, "He calls me 'Chinky!' He'd better watch his step, or I'm gonna…!"

"You're going to what?" Athena says, glaring at Jolie severely, then pauses for a moment before continuing, "Have you ever heard the parable of the swallow and the tiger?"

Jolie shakes her head, "The para-bull of the what?"

Athena says, "There was once a sparrow that was proud of its ability to fly. Knowing that tigers don't fly, the sparrow teased a tiger."

"So?" Jolie asks, not seeing the point.

Athena grins as she takes another pull from her cigarette, "The tiger took a breath, sucked the sparrow into its mouth, and swallowed the sparrow whole. Since then, no sparrows have dared to tease tigers."

"What the hell does that even mean?!" Jolie asks indignantly.

"It means I'll swallow your soul if you keep fucking with me," Kenta's cold voice suddenly sounds behind Jolie.

Jolie stiffens...an unfamiliar chill running up and down the spine of one notoriously fearless.

Jonah goes slack jawed and pale at the sight of Kenta before the man slips back into the corridor.

Through his own sheer terror, Jonah notes Athena in her position, seemingly calm and collected, casually butting out the remains of her smoked-out cigarette in an ashtray, but however unflappable a facade Athena puts up (and it is inscrutable), Jonah senses that beneath the surface, Athena's terror of the man surpasses his and Jolie's...as if she knows something about him that they do not… at least not yet.

Having extinguished her cigarette, Athena rises, donning her combination cap and overcoat, saying to Jolie as she pats the younger woman on the shoulder, "Better watch your step, Little Sparrow."

Athena turns to Jonah, giving him one of her pretty smiles, which Jolie notices with a bit of a huff.

"Such a pleasure to meet you, Cadet Michaels," Athena says, "Keep an eye on Jolie."

"Yes, ma'am," Jonah salutes Captain Ibaz...very impressed by the young officer.

"Hey, 'Thena!" Jolie says, "I just thought of something...was that you in the Gundam-100 this afternoon?"

"Yes," Athena answers plainly, "We needed to test it to see if Penelope Spencer's repair work would hold up after the damage the Centurion Gundam took during the time that Captain Kissingham stole it."

"Centurion...Gundam?" Jolie says quizzically.

Athena nods, "It's been redesignated and permanently assigned to our team."

"Fuckin' A!" Jolie enthuses with a grin, "I can't wait to pilot it again!"

Athena responds with a grin of her own, "Provided you survive Captain Kenta's training regimen; don't be so sure that you will, Sparrow."

Athena takes her leave, and Jolie notices Jonah staring at her as she goes.

Jolie elbows Jonah in the ribs, knocking the air out of him.

"Hey!" Jolie says, irritation in her voice, "'Thena's off limits! You already have me!"

"Sorry," Jonah says contritely, "but it's just that...Captain Ibaz...she's somehow familiar…"

One look at Jolie's scowl informs Jonah that he needs to drop the topic, or at least defuse it with an attempt at humor.

"Jealous?" Jonah teases.

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Jolie declares, more emphatically than necessary.

Jolie's overreaction gets Jonah laughing, and he lets her chase him out of the lounge.

* * *

Jolie and Jonah make their way to the austere, spartan barracks room where the recruits will be housed during the period of their training...ten bunk beds on each side of the room, twenty bunks total to accommodate forty recruits, with the women's beds on one side of the room, and the men's beds across the narrow expanse along the other side of the wall...not exactly the accommodations that Jolie and Jonah would have preferred, but what they have expected as inevitable.

Jolie heads towards one of the bunks near the center of the room and is about to claim the top bunk when a pair of hands drops a bedroll on top and a young woman's voice declares, "Dibs first, sweetheart! You take the one down there!"

Jolie turns to see another girl...around her own age and approximately the same size, with a light tan complexion, black hair tied into a ponytail, hazel eyes, and a slight scar below left eye.

Jolie stares down the other young woman, refusing to budge.

The hazel-eyed girl, clearly no stranger to roughness, gives Jolie a shove on the shoulder, "I said MOVE, sweetheart!"

"SWEETHEART THIS!" Jolie retorts, dropping her bedroll on the ground and lunging at Hazel Eyes, knocking her to the ground.

With the exception of Jonah, who tries to reach into the melee to pull Jolie away, the other recruits begin cheering, roughly half of them for the hazel-eyed girl, named "Alexandria," and the other half for Jolie.

"ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" Captain Kenta's voice thunders.

Jolie and Alexandria pause their struggle and stare in terror at Kenta before the man effortlessly separates them, rewarding their stupidity with a slap each.

"Who started it?" Kenta demands.

"SHE DID!" Jolie and Alexandria declare, pointing at each other.

Kenta turns to a pair of light-haired, green eyed, muscularly-built girls, evidently twins, "Agnes? Agatha?"

The one named Agatha answers, "Sir, Cadet Black called dibs on the top bunk, and then shoved Cadet Minh, sir. Cadet Minh then lunged at Cadet Black, sir."

Kenta turns to Nakazawa, "Is that what you saw too?"

"Yes, sir," Nakazawa answers.

"Then Minh gets top bunk," Kenta concludes, staring hard at both young women, making sure they both understand that less than 24 hours into the training, they're both skating on thin ice, "and since you two have already butted heads, I'm making you partners in everything that requires one as well."

Jolie gawks at the man, and is about to object when he continues, "And that is going to be exactly how I pair up everyone here. You WILL be forced to work with someone you don't like... there are plenty of people who are going to be your comrades-at-arms and superiors that you cannot stand, but you WILL be expected to work with them."

Turning at last to Jolie, Kenta looks her squarely in the eye as he demands, "Is that clear, Cadet Minh?"

Jolie glances around the room, suddenly realizing, "Wait...where the fuck did I leave Haro?"

Kenta bares his teeth and backs Jolie against the wall of the barracks room, "I SAID 'IS THAT CLEAR, CADET MINH?!'"

Jolie, about to spit out a venomous retort, backs down when she spots Jonah desperately shaking his head behind Kenta.

"Yes, sir, Captain Kenta, sir," Jolie replies half-heartedly.

"YES, SIR WHAT, MINH?!" Kenta demands.

"SIR, YOU HAVE MADE YOURSELF CLEAR, SIR!" Jolie says more… enthusiastically this time.

Kenta, keeping Jolie hemmed against the wall, says into her face, "I've encountered some serious fuck-ups in my time, Minh, but you really take the cake."

The other recruits, particularly Alexandria Black, stifle their giggles as best they can.

"Bed in and lights out in five minutes," Kenta orders, "04:00 will be here sooner than you think." He then stalks out of the room like a tiger on the prowl.

The young recruits get to work prepping their beds, and at exactly one minute before lights out, Jolie remarks to Jonah, "What an asshole… well, at least we don't have to sleep in the same room as him."

And as the old saying goes, speak of the Devil and he shall appear before you.

Captain Ryusuke Kenta returns, no longer wearing his coat and hat, but carrying a sleeping bag over his shoulders and a pillow under his arm.

"You have got to be shitting me," Jolie groans, now starting to believe the man might actually be the Devil.

"No, Cadet Minh, I most certainly am not shitting you," Kenta says as he unrolls his sleeping bag and proceeds to lie down on top of it with the pillows under his head, "Now go the fuck to sleep."

And with that, the lights go out. Jolie then gets the dumbest idea of her life...

"Can I get a glass of water?"

"I know you're not thirsty. That's bullshit; stop lying. Lie the fuck down, Cadet Minh, shut up, and sleep."

"Can I go to the bathroom? I need to pee."

"Hell no you can't go to the bathroom! You know where you can go? The fuck to sleep!"

"Can I…?"

"Look, kid. I got two words for you: fucking **sleep**!"

* * *

The object of Jolie's distraction, Haro, rolls forlornly through the streets of Green Oasis City. Ever since the previous day's melee at the Side 7 Spaceport, Haro has rolled aimlessly across the Side 7 space colony.

Haro stops by a storefront and peers in, "Amuro? Jolie? Where is Amuro? Where is Jolie?"

"Out of here, robbie!" snarls the irate store manager, not accommodating a robot that has no money to spend at his establishment.

Haro rolls from the busier, more brightly lit streets of Green Oasis City towards the dimmer, seedier side of town.

A drunken man sits on the curb, sipping from a flask of liquor. Seeing Haro rolling towards him, the drunken man smiles.

Haro's eyes flash, "Where is Amuro? Where is Jolie?"

"Amuro and Jolie?" the man slurs, "No idea who the hell they are...here, share this with me, roly poly."

The drunken man attempts to pour his liquor ON Haro; the spherical robot, knowing full well the effects alcohol would have on its circuitry, rolls away and bops the man on the nose before bouncing down the street.

Down the streets, through dark alleyways, into the city parks...repeating the mantra…"Where is Amuro? Where is Jolie?"

Three hours later, Haro stops by a familiar suburban duplex in a part of Green Oasis City landscaped with synthetic hills.

Haro's memory banks recall its AI consciousness first being activated inside that building, nearly twenty years ago. It recalls Amuro...and Fraw Bow.

"Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?" Haro enunciates in its electronic voice, adopting a tone as close to frustration as a robot can produce.

Haro spins like a top on the driveway of the duplex.

A tiny figure then approaches down the street...a middle-aged woman, dressed in a nun's habit.

Haro stops to regard the approaching figure.

The nun peeks up contemplatively at the duplex, and then her brown eyes set upon Haro in disbelief.

"Haro?" the nun whispers, and then, more loudly, "Haro, is that you?!"

"FRAW BOW! FRAW BOW! FRAW BOW!" Haro chirps excitedly, launching itself at the nun and extending its mechanical arms and legs for a hug.

Sister Fraw Bow of the Holy Order of Saint Monica, Mother of Mercy (Side 7 Diocese) takes Haro into her arms, "Oh, Haro...I can't believe it's you!"

"FRAW BOW! FRAW BOW!" Haro continues to chirp, "Where is Amuro? Where is Amuro?"

"Amuro," Sister Fraw says sadly, "Amuro is gone...and so is Hayato...and Katz."

"Amuro gone...Hayato gone….Katz gone…" Haro repeats sadly, and then falls silent.

Sister Fraw holds Haro close, fighting to hold back tears.

"Take me home! Take me home!" Haro demands.

"Amuro...isn't here anymore, Haro," Sister Fraw attempts to explain, "but let me take you back to the church to get cleaned up, OK?"

"Church! Church! Church! Order of Saint Monica! Saint Monica!" Haro bounces.

Sister Fraw is somewhat curious about how Haro is aware of the Holy Order of Saint Monica, but that could wait until later.

* * *

Kenta awakens at 03:45 and rises from the floor. He silently walks to the showers and fills the sink with cold water before splashing his face to wash away the last vestiges of sleep. From there, he takes his clothes off and has a two-minute cold shower. Done with that, he takes five minutes to shave, keeping the stubble away. Chris likes it when he keeps his face smooth, and he likes the reward she tends to give him for doing so. After that, he spends the next five minutes limbering up: he is going to be much more involved in their training today, so he needs to make sure everything is in working order. With only three minutes left, Ryusuke starts putting his clothes and gear back on. He straps on the shoulder holster he had taken off before bed. He picks up his Smith & Wesson model 629 Deluxe .44 Magnum revolver. He takes a brief moment to admire the shine of the stainless steel and the feel of the rosewood grip before holstering the weapon. It was a gift from his late wife… one of the few things he has left of the family he lost because of Operation British. He then puts on his coat and hat before going back to the sleeping quarters.

He walks back in at 04:00. The twins are already up and making their beds when they see him enter their barracks at the junior officers' academy at Revil Base. He silently nods toward them, acknowledging their presence and accomplishment of being up before everyone else.

Captain Ryusuke Kenta then shouts, "RISE AND SHINE MAGGOTS!"

The entire barracks is now awake, and the recruits quickly make their beds before lining up across the narrow corridor between the bunks… all except Cadet Jolie Minh, who is wrapped head to toe in her blanket like a human burrito.

"Up and at 'em, Minh," he calls, only for her to stick her hand out from beneath the covers to flip him off before rolling over.

The man narrows his eyes at her sleeping form before drawing out his firearm, which he has loaded with a set of blanks capped with a plastic seal. This seal is shaped similarly to an actual bullet, allowing it the same aerodynamic flight capabilities of a normal bullet, all the while insuring it won't kill anyone if hit. He points the weapon at the window located between the bunks, and pulls the trigger.

The loud **BANG** coupled with the shattering of glass forces Jolie to the land of the living with such a jolt that she falls off the top bunk and lands on the ground with a resounding thud.

She glances around, eyes wild with fear before she hears the man say, "I'm so glad you could join us, Cadet Minh! Now get your bed made, Chinky. You will all meet me outside when she has finished."

And with that, he leaves the recruits to their devices.

* * *

At 13:00, the recruits are gathered in a makeshift _dojo_ , which Kenta has outfitted with nearly every type of melee weapon imaginable, reflecting the history of personal combat across multiple centuries and civilizations - drawing from the heritages of ancient Japan, China, Central Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Jonah finds himself intrigued by a traditional European polearm - a Spanish halberd, similar to those wielded by Spanish knights during the 16th Century in Europe. He takes the ancient weapon, which feels heavy in his hand, but not so heavy that he cannot lift and swing it with surprising finesse.

He comes very close to accidentally taking off the head of Jolie, who blocks the swing with the still-sheathed _Minh Jian_.

Whoa, whoa, WHOA, Boyo!" Jolie complains, but only teasingly

"Sorry!" Jonah apologizes abruptly, though no harm is done.

"Sure you can handle that thing?" Jolie asks, blinking dubiously at Jonah.

"Yeah," Jonah says, pleased to have an opportunity to demonstrate some physical prowess for once, "my brother has made me train with this kind of weapon since I was about eleven years old."

"You've got to introduce me to this cool-ass bro of yours one of these days," Jolie remarks.

Jonah shudders internally, but says nothing.

"THINK FAST!" Jolie declares suddenly, drawing the blade of _Minh Jian_ out of its polished, dark red cherrywood and leather case.

A Newtype spark fires from Jonah's forehead as he gapes "WHOA!" and backpedals as the blade of Jolie's ancient weapon approaches his throat.

With reflexes born partly of his brother's training, and partly from his own PSI-enhanced reflexes, Jonah begins backpedaling, raising the halberd in his hands to parry the incoming strike.

Jolie continues going after him with a series of intricate, graceful, circular slashing and striking motions.

The recruits turn to the dueling couple and cheer the action.

At the door of the _dojo_ , Captain Kenta quietly watches the action for a moment, taking mental notes.

 _Wudang Jianfa_ and _Emei Jianfa_ , Kenta concludes after observing Jolie for ten seconds, _interesting how she combines the two. Her footwork is all over the place...clearly something she made up on her own rather than orthodox Wudang and Emei systems. Sloppy...too many acrobatic flips that aren't necessary...though it seems to work for her…but it won't for long against a real opponent._

Kenta also observes Jonah's movements: _that kid is surprisingly good with that Spanish halberd...definitely has some training in it. Jonah Michaels….Michaels...Miguel?_

"All right!" Kenta bellows, "That's enough! Fall in!"

The recruits line up dutifully, even Jolie, who has resheathed the _Minh Jian_ and stands at attention next to Jonah.

"Welcome to melee weapons training," Kenta bites out, "first thing is for each of you to pick out a weapon. Every weapon here was chosen because there is a mobile suit equivalent to it. This means most of what you can do here with these, can be done on a larger scale with a mobile suit. And a little advice: don't pick something just because you think it's 'cool.' Be practical: it needs to be something that suits the way you fight. All right, now select a weapon."

The recruits disperse across the dojo to examine the racks of weaponry that Kenta has made available to them. Alexandria Black tries out a pair of Italian daggers that catch her eye, while Nakazawa briefly flirts with a katana until he spots a pair of sais.

"Minh," Kenta remarks, noting that Jolie isn't selecting a weapon from his stockpile, but stands with the _Minh Jian_ tucked between her crossed arms, "you going to stick with that old _jian_?"

"Yes, sir," Jolie replies.

"Fine," Kenta affirms, "It's pretty similar to a standard MS beam saber in general shape and disposition anyway."

Everyone having selected a weapon of choice, Kenta has the recruits lined up in two rows on either side of _dojo_.

Kenta scans the recruits and their weaponry quickly, and then announces, "Cadet Black! You're up first!"

Cadet Alexandria Black steps forward, the pair of Italian daggers ready in her hands.

"Come at me as if I were your most hated enemy," Kenta says coldly, "not a passing thought of mercy."

Flipping both daggers into an underhand attack grip, Alexandria charges at Kenta, slashing mercilessly, as Kenta instructed.

Kenta anticipates Alexandria's slashes and strikes, dodging nimbly and turning her blows aside deftly using _aikido_ -influenced moves.

Kenta allows Alexandria thirty seconds to connect, and then moves quickly, his fingers finding purchase around Alexandria's wrists, squeezing pressure points that force Alexandria to release both weapons, which land in Kenta's hands.

The blade of the dagger is held at Alexandria's throat.

Kenta hands the twin daggers back to Alexandria, scowling at her, "You held back, Cadet Black, even after I specifically ordered you to not exhibit any mercy. That mistake would have gotten you killed in a real battle. Back to the line."

"Cadet Minh," Kenta announces, "You're next."

Jolie vaults into the air from the line, drawing the _Minh Jian_ with a resounding _zing!_ as she somersaults through the air, drawing gasps of surprise and awe from the other recruits.

Kenta smiles and calmly thinks to himself, _Overly flashy...just as expected._

The tip of Jolie's blade advances like a rolling tsunami...and lances through empty air at the spot where Kenta stood an instant earlier.

"Wudang Feifeng Jian, Shushan Shi," Kenta's voice sounds from behind Jolie, "Wudang Sect's 'Flying Phoenix Sword, 13th Striking Style."

"Y-you know…?" Jolie's eyes widen in surprise.

"Minh," Kenta answers, "I know all your techniques better than I know my own face...including precisely how to beat each one."

Ryusuke then draws his katana from its sheath. "This sword has been in my family since the beginning of the era of feudal Japan," he explains, "It's called _Kanzenmaru_ , which means 'Full Circle.' The smith folded the blade 10,000 times to ensure it was strong enough to withstand the force behind its intended wielder's strikes... it is also a part of a set...but that's a story for another time."

He then adopts a stance that is not in any way, shape, or form connected to traditional Japanese swordsmanship. Instead, the stance is reminiscent of a Fencer's stance, but more open to attack. The blade is angled to the side in his right hand, and his left is placed behind his back.

"It should be noted that this is not my preferred style," he tells her, "But it is the one that will keep me from killing you since it puts more emphasis on control. Enough...let's see what else you've got."

Clenching her teeth, Jolie switches techniques and leaps at Kenta again, her right knee bent in advance of her sweeping blade, straightening the blade before once again missing the mark and stabbing through air even as she lands in a catlike crouch.

"Emei Dòng Gōng Shí'èr Zhuāng," Kenta remarks, "Maybe in the hands of a master, but it's not going to be good enough to help you here either.

Jolie does a flying spinning leap, like a helicopter rotor with long black hair, attacking Kenta with a flurry of sword techniques from her Chinese heritage...Huashan, Kongdong, Kunlun, Diancang, Tiejian...but Kenta deftly sidesteps each of Jolie's strikes, accurately calling out and identifying each school and each technique that she deploys from her bag of tricks.

Jolie drops to one knee, agape at the devil named Kenta.

Kenta smirks coldly, "You're a jane of all trades, and master of none. In my ancestors' language, ' _Ta gei ha mu gei_ ' - many talents is no talent, and in your ancestors' language, ' _zhou shen dao, wu zhang lei'_ \- equipped with knives all over, but none of them is sharp."

Her temper predictably getting the better of her, Jolie raises the _Minh Jian_ over her head with both hands and charges at Kenta again, her style wild and formless.

Jolie swings as if to decapitate the man, only to swing through empty air once again as the flat of Kenta's katana smacks her in the back of the head.

Swinging around to deliver a vicious blow to Kenta's midsection, Jolie again finds her swordtip penetrating nothing but air as Kenta's katana smacks her on her bottom!

By now the other recruits are laughing, except for Jonah, who looks on with extreme concern and is about to step in with the Spanish halberd until he is held back by Alexandria Black and Taro Nakazawa.

"Sorry, Loverboy. Can't let you interrupt the fun. Besides, Dovey over there's gotta learn the hard way sooner or later," Alexandria grins with amusement.

After enduring a few more whacks from Kenta's katana, Jolie flattens herself on the ground, slithering towards Kenta like a snake, attacking at Kenta's feet with the blade of the _Minh Jian_.

Reflexes anticipating the move, Kenta leaps high into the air to avoid the slashes, and as he lands, executes a slash that forces Jolie from her prone position into a backwards flip.

She lands gracefully on her feet, but finds herself unable to move...both from shock and mortification, as she finds the tip of Kenta's katana on her most sensitive spot...between her legs.

Jolie feels herself turning beet red as all the other recruits except for Jonah laugh themselves sick.

Kenta gives Jolie a grin, pats her gently on top of her head with the flat of the katana, and turns away from her.

Eyes flashing, teeth clenched, and face red, Jolie lets out throat-tearing battle cry and charges at Kenta with the _Minh Jian_!

With a series of moves too blindly fast to be seen, Kenta deprives Jolie of the _Minh Jian_ and handcuffs her to a rack of weapons bolted into the floor of the _dojo_.

"W...what the fuck?!" Jolie demands, struggling futilely to slip out of the handcuffs.

Kenta holds the _Minh Jian_ in his hand, wielding it skillfully, examining the blade, "Long _jian_ design...artifact of Northern Song Dynasty era. Razor-sharp rigid steel blade. This was the weapon of a _xia_...a knight-errant from China's pre-modern period. Noble, honorable warriors, the _xia_...defenders of the innocent, and upholders of justice...precisely the reason you aren't worthy of wielding this weapon."

Jolie spits in Kenta's direction, and Kenta responds by grabbing a fist full of her hair and bringing her to eye level… what she sees chills her very soul: a demon that looks at her as nothing more than a snack that has begun to irritate him.

"Until you learn about honor and self-discipline, you aren't worthy of this sword," he tells her, "if you want it back, you'd best do some self-reflection, Cadet Minh."

"Who wants next?" Kenta says, turning to the other recruits.

To everyone's surprise, Jonah Michaels steps forward, the Spanish halberd held in a ready position.

"Michaels," Kenta grins.

"For her honor," Jonah says, indicating Jolie.

"What honor?" the Devil Kenta asks, "So far, she's displayed an extreme lack of honor… and too much pride."

"You don't know her like I do, Captain Kenta, sir," Jonah says with seemingly uncharacteristic bravery, "I know you're a far superior combatant, and could probably kill me without trying. But still...I'll fight to the death for her...sir."

"You met her the same day I did," he tells the boy, a sinister look in the man's eyes, "And I promise you this: I know both of you better than you know each other… would any of you like for me to prove it?"

The recruits cheer Jonah on...all realizing that he has absolutely no chance against Kenta, but admiring his bravery nonetheless.

"It seems you've stirred the hearts of the people, Michaels…you're definitely not of common stock… you come from noble blood."

"I'm just a painter, sir," Jonah says half truthfully, "Only circumstances brought me here."

"Well aren't you a funny little Spaniard," Kenta said mockingly, "Yes, I can tell by looking at you that your family heralds from Spain… hell, Jolie's family also comes from nobility, particularly her mother's side… she's the descendant of Marie Antoinette's sister, Maria Carolina."

Jolie blinks in surprise...not exactly sure just who Marie Antoinette even is.

Jonah says no more, but bows respectfully to Kenta, even as he levels his weapon at the man.

Jonah charges at Kenta, slashing out with the halberd. Kenta dodges the blow and parries with his katana. The extended reach of the halberd does pose some difficulties that Alexandria's daggers and Jolie's jian did not…

"'Painter,' eh?" Kenta taunts, "You're handy with that halberd for a 'painter,' Michaels."

Watching the duel with concern from the spot where she is cuffed, Jolie cannot help letting tears well up in her eyes, deeply moved that Jonah would do this for her...go against his deeply ingrained pacifistic nature.

"It seems you're much more adept with this weapon than I expected," Ryusuke says as he quickly moves away before adopting a stance of traditional Japanese swordsmanship. "Now, I'm going to actually treat you as a mild threat."

" _En guard_ , sir," Jonah announces clearly before thrusting the weapon at Kenta again.

For a moment, Kenta is surprised that Jonah would actually announce his move before striking, but on second thought...it's consistent with Jonah's character. Merciful...overly merciful, and a gentleman to the bitter end. Not necessarily negative traits in a man, but potentially fatal in a soldier…

Kenta turns aside Jonah's slashes and thrusts with seemingly casual strokes of his katana...but notes that it is more difficult than it looks.

They go back and forth like this for ten minutes before Kenta grabs Jonah's weapon and pulls it out of his grip, just as the voice of a young girl comes over the room's intercom and says, "Ten minutes has expired, combatants please stand down."

"You're a good man, Michaels," Kenta remarks, acknowledging him with a nod, "but too soft-hearted for your own good. Out there, in battle, you can't show any mercy...not even to your own brother."

Jonah gulps, and steals a glance at Jolie, still struggling with the cuff.

"Captain, did you bring the keys to those cuffs?" the yet unidentified voice asked.

Kenta then checks his pockets before saying, "Shit... Recoco, contact Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and ask her to run home and grab my spare key... I would also like you to personally deliver them."

"Oakie Dokie Kenta!"

Ryusuke chuckles at the childish nature of the individual known as the Fairy of Londo Bell.

After another hour or so of running through the cadets, there is only one left to be tested.

Kenta turns to the busty cadet Maria O'Rourke. Even in the largest female uniform, nothing can contain her enormous rack, which he guesstimates is at least a Double D. Naturally, she must be allowed exemption from the dress code until further notice. None of the less, she gave off a carefree vibe.

"Cadet O'Rourke, you're up!" he calls out.

"Yessir!" she replies with strong Irish accent. She picks up a sledgehammer next to her and walks up to the captain. Attempting to brush her raven locks out of her face, she assumes a fighting stance.

Kenta raises a brow, "A hammer, Cadet? If memory serves me, you were a kick-boxer back in your home country. You sure you can handle a hammer?"

A smile glitters in her clear blue eyes to compliment the playfulness in her voice, "Are ya worried about lil' old me, Captain? Yer too kind! Well, you should be more so about yerself! Yer gonna make me feel bad for doin' this, if not!"

Kenta gives her a shrug, "Fair enough. Whenever you're ready, cadet!"

She charges at him with eyes burning like Azure wildfire. She takes a terrific swing when she is close enough, but is surprised to find her blow blocked by Kenta's sword.

Maria gives Kenta a charming smile, "Not bad, sir."

Kenta, for his part, holds steady. Still, Kenta did not expect such a powerful hard of a hit from her.

"That was a good hit but, you left yourself wide open!" Kenta retorts, taking the opening.

Maria steps back in time for her shirt to get ripped open by the blade. Thankfully, Kenta's blade does not hit her bra...though truth to tell, she can care less about who sees it anyway.

"I'll admit that I am tad bit rusty," she admits, blocking another hit with a wicked grin, "but I'm just getting started!"

Kenta dodges as she strikes the ground where he had stood an instant earlier. A loud crack resounds through the _dojo_ upon impact. Everyone stands very still and stares at the busty cadet.

Jolie, still cuffed in place at the weapons rack, is the only one who dares to speak on everyone's behalf, "Did she just break the floor underneath?!"

"That's enough," Ryusuke says calmly as he sheathes his blade, "I now have everything I need to assign everyone with their ideal sparring partners."

Maria merely blinks as all traces of the wildness disappear, "Already? I barely gave it all I got!"

"These matches weren't about winning or losing," Kenta replied, "They were about finding where you all stand, and who is on a level close to your own."

"Well, fuck me! If that was the case, I should've just played all my cards!" Maria whines, shouldering the hammer, "I figured I had only ten minutes ta build up a good fight and still try not to kill ya on accident, at least!"

"If it helps, I've determined that you're too dangerous for your fellow cadets, so your sparring partner will be myself."

She gives him a hearty laugh, "Well, that's a pretty accurate assessment! I'll let ya in on somethin'! If ya think I'm bad, me Dad is worse! He can make cars fly!"

"I don't doubt it," the Devil in Black replied calmly, "Everyone go run laps around the base perimeter... Cadet Minh will join you shortly."

Now Ryusuke and Jolie sit in the dojo by themselves as they wait for Christina and Recoco to deliver the keys to the cuffs.

"Alright Minh," Kenta says with a sigh, "Why are you here?"

"Because I screwed up, Captain Kenta, sir," the raven-haired, wide-eyed teenager replies meekly.

"I mean why did you enlist," he clarified, "But you did screw up... monumentally so."

"I...my family was murdered by Zekes, sir," she answers.

"I know that," he grunts, "I've read your files... I want to know what it is in particular that drove you to join up."

"Payback," Jolie retorts, slamming the fist of her right hand into the open palm of her left, "that Zeke pig Miguel is gonna pay for all those lives he and his goons took at Quebec Colony!"

"So revenge is what drives you," he surmised with a chuckle, "Just like the Red Comet."

"Don't you dare compare me to that Zeke scum!" Jolie snarls.

Kenta says calmly, "It's the truth... you have a vendetta against Alexander Miguel in the same manner Char had a vendetta against the Zabi Family... just as he couldn't let go of the vendetta he had against Amuro Ray for killing Lalah Sune...you're headed down the same path as the son of Zeon Deikun."

Jolie shakes her head violently as she replies, "I don't know what any of that shit means, and I don't give a fuck what it means either! All I know is that my mom, dad, and big brother won't rest in peace until I bring Miguel's head to their graves!"

"Does that go for all Zeke's?" Kenta asks.

"If they make war on the Earth Federation and its people, then HELL, YEAH!" comes Jolie's spirited reply.

"Even Jack?" he asks again.

"Jack Spencer?" Jolie's eyes widen, "What does he have to do with the Zekes?"

"He was the highest ranking officer in the Zeon Terrestrial Forces in during the final month of the One Year War," Kenta replies calmly, "I'm the one who took his hand."

Jolie stares silently at Kenta, stunned.

"T-That means that Penny is also a…" Jolie manages.

Kenta interrupts her from finishing her thought, "Athena too... and chances are that boyfriend of yours is a Zeke as well."

Jolie glares at him and asks. "Why are you saying all this bullshit?!"

"It's not bullshit. Athena carries the weight of the world on her shoulders because of what the people of her nationality have done," Kenta points out, "and Jonah came here to avoid being enlisted into one of the Zeon factions in the Outer Solar System by his brother...which means his brother is already a part of a Zeon military."

Jolie covers her ears and shakes her head, "Stop telling me these crazy things! Jonah and 'Thena aren't Zekes! They can't be! No! No! NO! I'M NOT GONNA ACCEPT THAT! You're a liar, Kenta!"

Kenta looks at her sternly, "Then ask Athena next time you see her... and pay attention to the way she talks about it... she feels guilt for things she's never done... she tries to make the sins of the father her own."

Jolie looks at the captain, having calmed down a bit, but still feels confused and angry about what's been said, and says firmly, "I don't believe you. I know 'Thena and Jonah, and there's NO FUCKING WAY they're Zekes!"

Kenta sighs and looks back at her. "Believe what you will, Minh... But sooner or later, you'll have to face the truth."

* * *

A few minutes later, after things quiet, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie walks in accompanied by a teenage girl in a green Federation military uniform. The color of her uniform, when combined her sky blue hair and green eyes, give her the appearance of a fairy. What really stands out to Jolie, is that this girl who is no older than 15, has a bust that rivals Cadet O'Rourke's.

...and the other officer…a slim, attractive redhead who appeared to be in her thirties. Jolie finds her somehow familiar. Where had she seen the redhead before?

"You needed this?" Christina smiles, handing a key to Kenta.

"Thanks," Kenta says, taking the key and using it to undo the cuffs around Jolie's wrist.

Jolie is delighted to be free of the cuff, all but bouncing up as soon as she's free.

Her eyes flash and widen as she finally remembers the redhead, "Hey! You're...Christina Macsomething! I saw you at the spaceport when I first got here!"

Christina smiles, "But you were in such a rush that we didn't formally meet, Cadet Minh."

"She's your superior officer, and the captain of the vessel the Centurion Team operates out of, making her Captain Ibaz's direct superior as well," Ryusuke points out to the young cadet, "Add in the fact that she's my girlfriend and you now have the reason why I'm so hard on you, Cadet Minh: if you do something monumentally stupid as a member of the Centurion Team, it could get her and everyone else on said team killed. So show some proper respect for Lt. Col. Mackenzie."

Jolie gulps and salutes, "Lt. Col. Mackenzie, ma'am!"

"Rejoin the other cadets, Cadet Minh," Christina instructs, "I need to speak with Captain Kenta privately."

"Yes, ma'am," Jolie salutes again, and runs out of the dojo.

Ryusuke then turns to the 14-year-old ensign and asks, "What's your take on Jolie Minh?"

"Her attention span seems to be virtually nonexistent, as are her social skills... she gets very nervous when dealing with unknowns, so she puts on a false bravado to hide it," the young girl says, "Do you think she has Autism Spectrum Disorder?"

Kenta gives a thoughtful hum before saying, "That would explain a lot... I'll have her tested in the next couple days...thank you for your insight, Recoco."

The young ensign salutes her superior officer and says, "It was my pleasure Mr. Kenta."

Ryusuke sighs as he says, "Stop calling me that."

"No can do," the girl replies with a childish smile.

* * *

At 18:00, the recruits file into the mess hall for the routine evening meal...something high on protein and vitamin content and low on starch and fat.

Alexandria sits down with her tray of food. The mess hall isn't crowded, but she still prefers her solitude to attempting to socialize with people she isn't keen on making friends with. Besides, who would care about someone like her after what just happened with the melee training? She rubs her throat, subconsciously.

 _The blade of the dagger is held at Alexandria's throat as Captain Kenta scowls, "You held back, Cadet Black, even after I specifically ordered you to not exhibit any mercy. That mistake would have gotten you killed in a real battle."_

Alexandria can't help but bite her lip until it bleeds. Mistake. She knows better than to make mistakes in actual combat. You don't hold back in a fight! She knows this, she's a-

 _"Alex, stop!"_

 _She gasps, realizing her fist was raised to strike the table._

" _You gotta stay low, kid. They're coming after you and you're gonna be on your own soon."_

"Ma-" she begins before two trays are set down in front of her vision.

Alexandria jolts out of her daze and grimaces when she spots that damned lovey-dovey pair - Jonah and Jolie. Sickeningly cute, both of them. Judging from their faces, they are attempting to befriend her. Alexandria debates in her head on whether to indulge them or not as they start talking to her.

"I can't believe that guy! Kenta is a complete jerk!" Jolie rants, angrily causing Alexandria to raise a brow.

"Calm down. I'm sure he means well!" Jonah tries to assure his counterpart. Key word: _tries_.

"Calm down?! He took the _Minh Jian_ and handcuffed me to a weapons rack! How am I supposed to calm down from that!?" Jolie seethes.

Alexandria takes a moment to attempt to slip away, but Jolie's eyes land on her before Alexandria's hands touch the tray.

 _Damn_. Alexandria decides to give the brat a chance before she blows her lid on her.

"Aren't you mad too?! I mean he pretty much insulted your half-assed combat!" Jolie rages, her tongue outpacing her brain, as usual.

The whole room grows quiet as everyone watches what Alexandria will do. They know that Alexandria is a spitfire in her own right, no less volatile than Jolie. What no one knows is that Alexandria can hold herself back enough to keep things civil as well. She quietly holds her breath as she promises herself not to strangle Jolie. Not yet, at least.

"Geez, thanks for the reminder, Dove. Too bad I held back on purpose," Alexandria says, each word dripping with acid, "if I had known you were going to embarrass yourself, I wouldn't have held back at all! My mistake. Bet you're just mad cause you got spanked!"

The mess hall grows tense as Jolie seethes at the burn. Alexandria stares at Jolie for a bit before grabbing her spoon and eating without even tasting anything, "So, what the hell do you think you're doing at this table, Dove? There are plenty of other places to sit with Loverboy here. And last I checked, we hated each other."

Jolie exhales before replying, "Ok, we kinda got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over? Please? I'll even let you have the top bunk!"

Alexandria swallows her food before laughing at her, "Start over? You really think that we'll be besties if you let me have the fucking bunk back?! Sorry, but I like my bunk now! Besides, I rather enjoy watching your tired ass fall from the top every morning! It might become my morning cup of coffee actually!"

"What is with you?! Do you even care about about becoming a Federation pilot?!" Jolie demands.

"Why should I? It was either this or go to jail." Alexandria replies blithely, "And between you and me, this is ten times better than jail."

"You-You mean, you're a criminal?!" Jonah exclaims, flabbergasted.

"Bingo, Loverboy! By the way, nice moves against Detective Samurai out there! You're up there with that Irish chick, aren't ya? Bravo!" Alexandria compliments somewhat extravagantly.

"Uh, thanks? I guess…" Jonah blushes, not use to being complimented...at least not for anything involving physical prowess.

To her satisfaction, Alexandria notices Jolie looking a little jealous, but is stunned when Jolie retorts, "Hey, why don't you get your own man for once?! Oh, wait! You probably don't even have one! Does anyone even like you, anyway?!"

Something cracks inside Alexandria's mind as control starts to slip through her grasp. Images begin to flash through her mind. A little girl praying to God, a small wooden cross between her clasped hands. She pleads for forgiveness and redemption every night. "Stop…"

"Jolie, stop! You're making it worse!" Jonah intervenes.

"Why?! Because she can't handle her own punishment?!" Jolie pushes further, scowling at Alexandria.

Something shatters, but Alexandria welcomes it as she launches herself at Jolie.

Jolie has little time to react due to the shocking headache caused by Alexandria's sudden Newtype presence.

A flash of silver slips out of Alexandria's sleeve and now hovers just above Jolie's jugular.

Jolie glances at it and sees that it is a a silver spoon with an ornate cross on the handle. She also notices that the spoon is sharpened along its curved edge as she nicksd herself on it.

"That little girl is done repenting for her sins! The Father was a sinner! He deserved to go to Hell for his!" Alexandria declares furiously.

Jolie, confused, can only gulp, "What are you even talking about, Black?! Have you lost your mind?!"

Alexandria doesn't answer as she withdraws the spoon. At the same time, Alexandria's Newtype presence ceases to exist. Slipping the spoon back into her sleeve, she gets up and, having lost her appetite, goes to dump her food.

Before leaving the mess hall to cool her head, Alexandria turns to Jolie and says bitterly, "You want to be friends, Dove? Then, here's a thought: maybe, actually do what the man says for once! You might actually learn something!" .

Kenta sits in the shadows, watching the incident play out. As it stands, he hypothesizes that there is more to Alexandria Black than he was told. Either way, he'll know by Sunday if what he suspects is correct about Cadet Black. Till then, he brings out his phone and dials a number that he uses sparingly.

"Better have a good reason to call me, Kenta, and make it quick!" a rough voice spits out.

"Do you know what happened to Alexandria before you found her?" Kenta asks, jumping to the point.

The voice sighs, "She used the spoon on you?"

"No, another cadet."

"I don't know all the details. But, when I asked her about the spoon, she said it belongs to a Grace Sullen. I asked if that was her name, and she refused to answer. If I had to guess, she came from a church of heretics, if you catch my drift… Anything else?"

"No, I think I can piece it together from here. Thank you, Major." Kenta hangs up, immediately, "Grace Sullen, huh?"

* * *

During the two hour interval set aside for the evening meal and recreation before lights out at 20:00, Jolie requests and receives permission to see Captain Kenta privately (except for the presence of Jonah, with whom Jolie appears attached at the hip) in his office.

"Now don't antagonize him," Jonah whispers to her helpfully.

"I know what I'm doing," Jolie whispers back.

"Speak your mind, Cadet Minh," Kenta says, fixing Jolie in his omnipresent devilish glare.

To Kenta's surprise, Jolie approaches his desk, and falls to her knees, " _Shihfu...sensei..._ teach me, please!"

"That's CAPTAIN to you, Cadet Minh," Kenta replies, "and what do you think I've been doing the past week?"

"I…" Jolie begins.

"You," Kenta continues, "are unfocused. Your mind is...or tries to be everywhere at once. Unless you settle down and focus, you're not going to get very far. Wudang martial arts are clearly a part of your repertoire...you never learned about their _neigong_ meditation techniques?"

"I did," Jolie replies, "but…"

"...but you neglect them in favor of the purely physical aspects," Kenta concludes, "Minh...if you want those reflexes of yours to actually be effective against the strongest opposition, you need to sort out what's inside you. You tend to let anger and rage guide your actions, which leads you to make one critical mistake after another. You need to sort that out first, Minh, if you're going to get anywhere."

"Yes, _sensei_...I mean, Captain," Jolie says.

"Dismissed," Kenta responds, standing and fixing the couple in his glare.

At 20:00, the lights go out in the recruits' barracks. In the darkness, however, Cadet Jolie Minh, clad in only her underwear, sits cross-legged on her upper bunk, entering a meditative trance.

No one notices except Cadet Jonah Michaels, his eyes open and fixed upon Jolie's silhouette in the darkness, and Captain Ryusuke Kenta, from his mat on the floor.

Jolie exhales her breath and focuses on her center...gathering her internal _qi_.

 _Wudang neigong_ , Kenta recognizes, with a grin.

Jonah glimpses...with his actual, physical eyes? No, with his mind's eye...the ethereal form of a white phoenix emerging from Jolie's head. The phoenix lingers for a moment, and then fades...subsuming itself back into Jolie.

 _What was that?_ Jonah wonders.

In his sleeping bag, Kenta rolls over onto his side. Tomorrow is a Sunday...a church day.

* * *

"RISE AND SHINE, MAGGOTS!" Kenta proclaims at 07:00...Sunday being the only day he allows the recruits to sleep in.

Everyone is up, dressed in uniform, and lined up by their bunks for inspection within one minute.

"Everybody knows where the Church of the Holy Order of Saint Monica is?" Kenta asks.

Most of the recruits look at each other, clueless, but Kenta knows that Taro Nakazawa and the Kabuki Swingers have been locals for years, and they know the way.

"It's roughly three kilometers upside from the base, on Revil Boulevard," Kenta informs them, "Follow Nakazawa. He knows where it is. You are ordered to report at the church's front gate at 09:00! Those not present get KP duty for the week! Dismissed!"

Five minutes later, the recruits are in the mess hall for breakfast. Cadet Alexandria Black rolls her eyes as that damned cuter-than-cute pair of lovebirds take seats next to her at the bench table again.

Alexandria turns away, saying only, "You two really can't just sit anywhere else? There's plenty of space, and it's not like Kenta assigns us seats in the mess hall."

"Nope," Jolie replies, stabbing a straw into a carton of milk, "Not gonna quit until you tell us why you hate us."

"I don't hate you," Alexandria says, taking another bite of toast.

"You certainly don't seem to like us much," Jolie points out, slurping the milk out of the carton.

"There isn't some damn rule that says I have to like anybody," Alexandria replies, "especially not an undisciplined little fuck up like you, Minh. You're probably gonna get somebody killed someday."

Jolie looks like she's about the explode, but thinks better of it, bites her lip, and says, "OK...I guess we don't have to like each other, but we have to understand each other if we're gonna work together. Kenta DID assign us to work together, so we can't be at each other's throats all the time."

Before Alexandria can say anything in response, she, Jolie, and Jonah notice Taro Nakazawa and his cronies, the Kabuki Swingers, rushing out of the mess hall.

"We'd better follow them," Jolie says, "I've got no fucking idea where this church Kenta told us about is, but those guys are locals, so they'd know. C'mon!"

Without argument, Alexandria and Jonah take off after Jolie and the Kabuki Swingers.

* * *

True to Kenta's word, the Church of the Holy Order of Saint Monica, Mother of Mercy is located three kilometers north of Revil Base. Jolie's proclaimed lack of directional sense notwithstanding, they could hardly miss it. No other building in Side 7's Green Oasis City is quite like it...a massive, fifty-meter tall Gothic stone edifice with stained glass windows, sorely out of place among Green Oasis's gleaming modern skyscrapers.

The trio stop in front of the imposing church building, hardly panting in spite of the three-kilometer sprint. Jolie and Jonah cross themselves before entering the building.

Alexandria, however, remains outside...her feet on the edge of its shadow...her arms crossed in front of her. Gazing up at the building like it a distant memory she can't quite recall, Alexandria is suddenly conscious of a phantom scent of sulfur hitting her nose.

"Are you going to join us, Cadet Black?" Kenta asked her after confirming that the others are inside.

"I'm not religious." Alexandria replies, heading over to sit down on the bench.

She feels off. The fact that she is near a church bothers her. She has always felt unsettled at churches, so she makes a point to avoid them, if possible. Even that one time she took shelter in an abandoned church, she did it out of necessity. This is a personal choice now, and she takes it as the world starts spinning.

"I never really believed in God. He's cruel to his children." Alexandria comments, closing her eyes to rest them.

"On the contrary, Black, I think you'll be interested in this church," Kenta reasons as he grabs her by the back of her uniform jacket to herd her over to the others, "Unfortunately, this is mandatory."

"What?!" Alexandria squeaks, "No, no, no! You're the Devil, damn it! Why the fuck are you taking us to church?! The power of Christ should compel you to leave, not go straight in!"

Alexandria sits as close to the entrance as humanly possible. She curls up in fetal position on a pew looking like something is coming to get her. Everyone stares when she latches herself to a pew by the door and refuses, even by punishment, to budge further. She isn't religious, but that devil of a captain causes her to mildly reconsider despite knowing its futility. She has a fear of God, His holy temples, and whatever is in them!

Jolie and Jonah, kneeling next to each other in silent prayer, open their eyes simultaneously and turn towards Alexandria, noticing her cowering in the rear pew. Jonah nods to Jolie, who rises and walks back to where Alexandria has embedded herself.

Jolie puts her hand reassuringly on Alexandria's arm, "Hey...you OK?"

Alexandria swipes Jolie's hand away, "Leave me alone!"

Cadet Black gets back up and turns to leave, "I'm done here! Amen, motherfuckers! Enjoy your damn sermon!"

She feels a heavy hand on her shoulder and an demonic aura right behind her. She doesn't even have to turn around. She knows who has come to stop her.

"You know, for a devil, you really are doing a terrible job of leading the sheep astray," Alexandria comments sarcastically.

"Not the first time I've done the Lord's work." Kenta replies, sternly, "As I said before, Cadet Black, this is mandatory."

"Well, there's your first problem," Alexandria says, eyeing the holy water near the door. A flash of a Devil with a sword, standing next to a pool of blood in a dark room, fills her head.

"You were late the first time," Alexandria spits out, drawing out a vial from behind her.

Kenta hesitates long enough for her to throw holy water into his face. He should've known he'd get that thrown at him at some point. It's quite ironic and a little humorous, really. Still, Kenta is unamused.

"Oh no, holy water, it burns!" Kenta deadpans sarcastically.

Jolie can't help but snicker at him. If she didn't have a problem with Alexandria, she'd high-five her for making the references.

"If it burns, go back to hell!" Alexandria snaps, "There's no way in heaven nor hell you'll get me to lis..."

The door hits her in the back of the head causing her to hiss in pain. "Ah! Sorry, Cadet! I wasn't aware that you were standing there!"

"Who do you-?!" Alexandria freezes as she gazes up at another soldier with a familiar face staring at her with a grey eye. Dark brown hair covers his other eye, but she is certain it's the color of obsidian. Her mind flashes to one of the boys the girl played with. What was his name again?

"Chief Petty Officer Ashworth, good to see you." Kenta greets the young man.

"Likewise, Captain Kenta. Heard you're training recruits this time. Maybe, send one of them to us? Centurion Team caught a good one, recently," the young chief petty officer grins.

"Maybe. It's still too early to tell, yet. I'll keep an eye out, though."

"Of course... Why are you wet?"

"One of my cadets here has a… unique sense of humor and threw holy water in my face."

Chief Petty Officer Ashworth coughs to prevent himself from laughing. That doesn't stop him from grinning from the thought that a cadet actually had the nerve to attempt to banish Captain Ryusuke Kenta, the Devil in Black, with holy water! Riotous!

The handsome young chief petty officer turns to Alexandria, "Is that right? Well done, Cadet…?"

"Black," Alexandria answers, blushing, "Alexandria Black."

He turns to Jolie, who stands there watching the whole scene with piqued curiosity, "Oh! Uh, Cadet Jolie Minh, sir!"

"Are you a friend of Cadet Black's?" he asks innocently.

Both of the girls look at him like he's crazy. Alexandria, however, decides to roll with it to keep up the model girl appearance. She reaches out to wrap an arm around Minh's shoulders as Jolie tries to answer, "Not rea..."

"Of course not! We just met each other recently, so we're still getting to know each other!" Alexandria explains abruptly, giving the chief petty officer a friendly smile.

Jolie is almost as confused as Kenta, though he doesn't show it. As far as they know, Alexandria hates Jolie and her guts. Even more so, Alexandria never smiles. Kenta, however, notices that the chief petty officer is buying it.

"I see. Well, that's good to hear!" he gives her a charming smile, "I'm Chief Petty Officer Lucien Ashworth of the ECOAS Division. Have a good one, Cadet Black, Cadet Minh."

"Yes, sir!" Alexandria's voice quivers slightly. Jolie, for her part, is still confused but, salutes him anyway.

Once Chief Petty Officer Ashworth is seated up front, she turns to the Devil, only to find him studying her with a raised brow.

She frowns at him, "It's-it's just one fucking sermon, right? I won't get dragged back here next Sunday or shit?"

Kenta nods, "We'll also be having a special form of show and tell afterwards...and I'll go first to give everyone an example."

Alexandria thinks it over before agreeing, "Some Devil you are! Fine, I'll deal!"

"Am I missing something here?" Jolie asks, trying to wrap her head around this one.

Alexandria says nothing, but she decides to take advantage of the situation. She really wants to strangle Minh. Instead, she smiles at Minh. If she has to endure this, she'll drag Jolie Minh with her!

"Silly, Jolie! The service is about to start! Come on, let's get you back to your boy!" Alexandria giggles cutely as she grabs Minh and drags her back to her Loverboy.

"Uh, are you okay, Black? I think that door hit your head too hard!" Jolie asks with great concern.

"I'm fine, Jolie! Nothing to worry about!" Alexandria sings, pulling Minh close so only she can hear her, "Just keep me distracted enough to not murder the pastor and I promise to be a bit nicer to you, got it?"

Jolie is very confused by this sudden change in mood, but agrees anyway. Besides, she has a lot of questions for Alexandria later.

Returning to the pew, Jolie retakes her place next to Jonah and continues praying...mostly for Jonah, but also for practically everyone else alive (and her family in eternity) whom she knows. Jonah, likewise for Jolie and all whom he knows, especially his sister and brother in the Outer Solar System, and their parents in eternity.

The preacher finally comes up on stage, and he is a rather portly man.

Taking the pulpit, the preacher launches into his customary tirade, "Sorry I'm late, I just spent the last couple hours at a Seven Eleven going, MARLBORO! MARLBORO! CIGARETTES! SMOKEY SMOKEY! DO YOU EVEN SPEAK ANY ENGLISH!? HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET THIS JOB! I SHOULD HAVE SHOT YOUR ASS BACK IN DA NANG WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!"

Alexandria is completely caught off guard by this preacher: she hadn't expected this! She glances to her right, where she sees Jolie trembling, eyes wide with shock.

 _I guess it's Jolie who is going to need help with this_.

* * *

As they file out of the church, Jonah turns to Jolie and asks, "What was up with Cadet Black?"

Jolie grins mischievously, "I think she's got a crush on that young chief petty officer."

"Young chief petty officer?" Jonah says, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Jolie begins, "he's…"

Before Jolie can say more, her and Jonah's attention is caught by a rolling sound, and the voice of a nun calling out desperately, "Haro! Come back here!"

Haro rolls into view, bouncing up and down as it spots Jolie.

"JOLIE! JOLIE! JOLIE!" Haro bounces excitedly, then roll towards her.

"HARO!" Jolie's eyes light up, as she rushes back into the church to take the spherical robot into her arms.

The nun a kindly-looking woman in her late thirties, asks, "Are you the 'Jolie' that Haro has kept mentioning the past few days?"

"Yeah," Jolie answers, eyeing the increasingly familiar-looking nun warily, "You're Sister..."

"Sister Fraw," the nun answers with a benign, comforting smile.

Jonah looks at Haro, "This is one of those Haro companion robots. They're very popular, but very expensive out in the Outer Solar System."

Jolie blinks as she recognizes the nun, "Wait! I know you! You're FRAW BOW, from the _White Base_!"

Sister Fraw nods, but replies, "That was many years ago, in another life."

"Oh, this is too cool!" Jolie enthuses, her eyes lighting up and a mad grin appearing on her face, "You were a hero of the One Year War! You knew Amuro Ray and Bright Noa and all of them!"

Sister Fraw nods again, but once again insists, "It's in the past now, but the past rolled back into my life a few days ago when Haro showed up at the church, looking for Amuro and somebody named 'Jolie.'"

Jolie answers, "That's me. I'm Jolie Minh. CADET Jolie Minh. I'm in training to be a mobile suit pilot officer by Captain Ryusuke Kenta of the Earth Federation Forces."

"Haro seems to have formed quite an attachment to you," Sister Fraw observes, "much like he did with Amuro. Where did you find him?"

"That's a very long story," Jolie exhales.

As if on cue, Captain Kenta appears, "Back inside, kiddies. Show and Tell Time."

* * *

Everyone follows Ryusuke through the Sanctuary to one of the two doors past the pulpit. "I got High Mother Cecilia's permission to use the Church Conference Room for this, with the only rule being that she and two others are present to make sure nothing gets damaged," he explains as he walks them into a plain room with two long folding tables set side by side with chairs all around them.

Standing along one side of the room are three nuns, all in full habit.

"High Mother, Sisters," the Federation captain says as he motioned towards them, "please introduce yourselves to the cadets."

The first nun, recently familiar to Jolie and Jonah, demurely introduces herself, "I'm Sister Fraw Bow. I welcome you all to our congregation. Please feel at home."

There are a few astonished whispers among the cadets, some of whom are familiar enough with recent history to believe this first nun was once a member of the legendary _White Base_ crew during the final months of the One Year War.

"I'm Sister Margaret Levi," the second nun greets the cadets with a gentle smile, "pleasure to meet you all!"

The last one steps forward, her skin showing some wrinkles around the eyes and says with an air of benevolent authority, "I am High Mother Cecilia Irene, founder of the Order of Saint Monica, Mother of Mercy."

"Due to time constraints and this being the one day a week you kids get to have off from my otherwise brutal training regime, I will insist we keep our stories short and to the point," Kenta states as he sits down, "This is why I'm going to share first: to give everyone an idea of what is acceptable."

Kenta extracts a photo from his wallet and hands it to Jonah, who sees the image of a waifish, bikini-clad Asian woman who seems oddly familiar. Her black hair was streaked with distinctive red highlights and at her feet next to her was a boy in swim trunks. The pair, evidently mother and child, are depicted standing on a beach located near a large city...somewhere on Earth.

Jonah finds something melancholy in the image, though the woman and the boy could not appear happier, without a care in the world.

Jolie takes the photo, scans it, and then raises her eyes to ask Captain Kenta, "Does Lt. Col. Mackenzie know about them?"

"The picture was taken in January of 0079 at a beach in Sydney, Australia the day before the colony came down," he says darkly, "and they were my wife and son... now do yourself a favor and shut damn mouth."

Jolie cannot help blurting out, "NO WAY! You had a wife and kid, _Sensei_?! I never would have guessed!"

"THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY, MINH!" Kenta thunders.

Jonah helpfully clamps his hand over Jolie's physically tiny, but figuratively big mouth before she can get herself into more trouble.

Kenta continues, "But yes, I was a married man once... I was very different man before the war... we lived in Charlotte, North Carolina where I worked as a private investigator. Her name was Jitsumi, and our son was Zenjirou."

Pulling out his Smith & Wesson, Kenta tells them, "This was actually a gift from Jitsumi."

He then holsters the weapon again and adds, "We had been planning that vacation for months, but work had forced me to stay behind... I was supposed to fly out the very next day... I wake up next morning and to see that Sydney had been reduced to a crater on the news."

There is a darkness in his eyes that threatens to consume the souls of the cadets as he says, "The man I was before the war died that day...but the part that will really mess with you is that her brother was one of the Zeon pilots who was a part of Operation British. Turns out that he received the same picture as I did."

The darkness in his eyes fade, leaving only hollow regrets as he finishes, "As a result, he did something that hasn't been done for hundreds of years since the end of the Second World War: he committed Seppuku."

"What's 'Seppuku,' Sensei?" Jolie asks, after Jonah releases his grip around her mouth.

"Ritualistic suicide, Minh," Kenta explains, "self-evisceration for samurai who have dishonored themselves."

Jolie gulps.

"And the most fucked up part," Ryusuke adds, "is that according to an e-mail I got from my father-in-law, his daughter Kyoko walked into the room just as he plunged the blade of the _tanto_ into his abdomen... my three-year old niece saw her father carve his intestines out."

"Sir, if I may…" Jonah begins tentatively.

"Say it, Michaels," Kenta answers flatly.

Jonah swallows, then proceeds, "What was your wife's maiden name?"

"Yamaguchi," Kenta affirms.

Jolie turns to Jonah with mild surprise and whispers to him, "That was a weird question to ask. Why would you even want to know Kenta's dead wife's maiden name?"

Jonah doesn't get the chance to answer as Ryusuke says "So who wants to go next?"

"I will, _Sensei_ ," Jolie says, when nobody else seems ready.

"Go ahead, Minh," Kenta exhales, "and for God's sake, stop calling me 'Sensei.'"

After a brief pause, Jolie begins, "My dad was an Earth Federation Forces Civil Defense Corps MS pilot. 1Lt. Dominic Minh, based at Quebec Colony, Side 5. He died protecting our colony from a Zeke attack led by Alexander Miguel."

Jonah shudders at the mention of his brother's name; the other recruits can only nod in recognition at the mention of the notorious Phobos Zeon warlord.

"But before that," Jolie says, with surprising earnestness, "Daddy was a mobile suit pilot...with the Titans."

The room fills with gasps of surprise.

"Daddy was stationed in Dakar from UC 0085 to 0087," Jolie continues, "After the Gryps War, a tribunal determined that he had no part in the atrocities that the Titans committed, and he was repatriated and reassigned to the Civil Defense Corps. But when I was in elementary school, I sometimes wondered...why did some of the other kids pick fights with me and call Daddy a 'Titan.'"

"The Titans were traitors!" someone remarks.

"Yeah," Jolie agrees, "That's something I didn't get when I was eight years old. I had no idea what any of that meant...or what a 'Titan' was or why it was so bad if Daddy was one. But Daddy told me...the Titans...what they did at places like 30 Bunch and the Lunar Cities."

"Did your dad do any of that himself?" Alexandria asks.

"NO!" Jolie says emphatically, "He wasn't part of those missions, but still...I don't think he ever got over being a part of that, even remotely."

"Not everyone in the Titans was bad," Kenta states, "in fact, a large majority were decent people... the problem was that the wrong people were in charge and they had too much authority."

"I wanted to come clean about that," Jolie tells them all, "This isn't like a confession, but it's kind of like one, if you know what I mean."

"Most people can be cruel," Maria O'Rourke comments, "but not all of them are bad. Some were wronged just by association alone. Why people don't understand that is beyond me, but those guys are idiots for not using common sense to begin with!"

Kenta has his eye on the twins, "Agnes, Agatha, one of you two has a story or two."

The Pachis twins glance at each other: one in worry, the other in uncertainty. It is evident that they have a story, but are unsure about whether or not it is a good idea to tell it. Agnes bites her lip.

"We both share the same story, but with different perspectives...will that be acceptable?" Agnes asks carefully.

Kenta nods, "Killing two birds with one stone, then. Go ahead."

Agnes sighs before she begins, "Before signing up, I was an anthropology major in college."

"...teaching… kindergarten..." Agatha grumbles.

Everyone stares at the meaner Pachis sister. Nobody in the entire room expected Agatha to want to be a kindergarten teacher. No one can see it for her to like kids. Kenta wonders if this story has something to do with her attitude….if she wasn't always like this.

Agnes laughs, "Oh, yes! You always had a soft spot for the little ones, didn't you?"

"Not really. They're just tiny and weak! All they do is just provoke you into their terrible games and climb on you like little monkeys!" Agatha complains.

Everyone is now silently thankful she never got her teaching license and regretting their judgment of Agatha.

"You can't fool me, sister! I know you better than I know myself!" Agnes declaims with a smile.

"Same can be said about you, dear sister." Agatha retorts, "Now stay focused! You're staring off the cliff again!"

"Oh, yes! You're right!" Agatha mutters mildly, "As I was saying, we were in college and had the opportunity to travel to Africa for an internship! I didn't want to go alone so I asked Agatha to come with me!"

"More like begged me to come with you! Besides, if I didn't, you would've found yourself in someplace like Antarctica instead!" Agatha corrects, "Remember Amsterdam?"

Agnes turns red at the memory, "Ah… Yes, well, that was… Let's just... forget that ever happened…"

Agatha snickers, "If you say so."

However, the grin lingers on the brute twin's face. It causes many to wonder what actually happened in Amsterdam. Kenta even dares to raise a brow in question.

Agnes gives a dry cough, "Well, we managed to get to this refugee camp in Musoma as a pit stop before our destination. We took the rest of our day to help out in exchange for a night's stay. It was only fair at the time."

"At least you didn't have to deal with the little rugrats running around you while you're carrying heavy boxes off that gunperry! I swear to all things holy, those brats really wanted to have their heads smashed by one of those boxes!" Agatha growls, then sighs as she lays her head on her arms, "Those same brats… they got ripped to pieces by those damn Zeke leftovers! What the hell? I thought… I thought the war was over already… right?"

Everyone is quiet now. Agatha is usually mean and angry at everything, but now, she is softer and grief is evident in her voice. Like she cares about those kids she'd called brats. Agatha's hands begin to ball up into fists.

"Damn Zeke pigs," Jolie whispers, almost unnoticed.

Agnes lays a calming hand on her sister's shoulder in comfort and warns, calmly, "Anger takes the eyes, Agatha. There was no more we could do than what was done already."

"I took down a few of them, Aggie." Agatha states, quietly, "including the two that went for you before we boarded the last flight out of that camp. I have no regrets on that..."

Agnes sighs before she addresses everyone, "As you've have all guessed, the camp was attacked by Zeon troops left over from the One Year War. We tried our best to evacuate everyone, but Agatha went berserk after she saw the children die. We took karate when we were younger and she took down some ground troops. Two soldiers came after me when I tried to get a couple of kids to the Gunperry. Agatha stopped them. I had to pull her into the Gunperry by force. Turned out to be the last flight, so we were lucky. We weren't so sure about that Gunperry pilot, though. She went back to try and find more survivors. Never saw her again after that. At least, not until we saw the news when we were waiting to board our flight here."

Kenta perks up, "What news?"

"The one where they recovered that Gundam! Imagine our surprise when we saw her in the news! That Athena Ibaz really made a name for herself, didn't she?! A captain! Oh, this is perfect, Agatha! We finally get t-" Agnes exclaimed, excitedly.

"Aggie," her twin interrupts, "stay on the path."

"Yes, yes!" Agnes replies, "After that trip, we had a lot to process. Ultimately, we agreed to join the Federation once my internship was up. That's why it took us so long to get here. The rest is history!"

"So you two knew Athena?!" Jolie asks excitedly after Agnes finishes.

"Not exactly. There was too much chaos around to get on friendly terms with anyone, to be hone-"

"Aggie," Agatha interrupts again, "Aren't you forgetting a detail?"

Everyone stares at the twins. Agatha glares at her seriously. Agnes frowns at her twin, "Did I? I'm sure I got everything!"

"You were right about me stopping the soldiers, but I wasn't the one that killed them. You took both of their guns after leaving the kids with me. You pointed them at their heads as you beat one to death by smashing his head in, and made the other watch as you shot his legs and snapped his neck," Agatha explains, "All with that damn sweet as fuck smile on your face! So tell us, sister, how much did those fucks really piss you off?"

"A lot more than you think, not going to lie. But, again, it's in the past." Agnes replies with ease.

Kenta begins to wonder if one of them was the 'evil' twin, so to speak. It, certainly, makes sense. Though, the twins together make up for their separate flaws. Fascinating.

Kenta straightens, "Agnes, Agatha, how did you come to know Captain Athena Ibaz?"

Agnes explains,"Oh! That's easy. See, we didn't know her name was Athena till we asked around after we were dropped off. We figured she was still alive cause we stole this radio off the bodies of the Zeon soldiers. A man by the name of Colonel Jack Spencer made an announcement about a Lieutenant Gale Turner being killed and how his mobile suit was hijacked! He ordered that the responsible party be hunted down to the last man standing!"

"We kept our ears glued to the radio after that, but the radio started getting silent around spring. We didn't know she was still alive till we saw the news on our way here." Agatha provides, "Damn girl's badass, I'll give her that!"

"Wait, so Jack Spencer ordered Athena killed?" Jolie asks, shocked.

"That's what we think. Although, from his words, I don't think he knew who was responsible. He also mentioned that he had been gone for sixteen years prior to that point. So, forgive us, we don't know the exact details…" Agnes apologizes.

"Who's next?" Kenta urges the group.

After a moment, Maria raises her hand, "I'm not the best at tellin' tales, but I'll give it a go."

"Proceed, O'Rourke."

Maria gives everyone a nervous laugh and wonders, "Oh, gosh! Where to even begin?! Dad did better at this kinda thing…"

"You don't have to push yourself on it if it bothers you." Jolie offers.

"Bothers me?" Maria questions before she shakes her head, "Christ, no! It doesn't really bother me at all! It's just… sad… It's a very sad tale. And yet, it's the reason I am who I am! It's just… difficult to explain it in short!"

"I would just try your best, O'Rourke," Kenta suggests, "It doesn't have to be perfect."

"If you insist, Captain," Maria pauses to take a breath before continuing, "When I was but a wee lass, me dad always told me stories before bed. He wasn't perfect at telling them, but I love them all the same! My favorite tale, however, was 'The White Devil and the Rose'!"

"That sounds like a strange title for a bedtime story." Jonah comments.

"Perhaps," Maria agrees, reaching into her pocket, "but me dad wasn't the one who created the tale."

"Then, who did? I never here of a folktale by that name before!" Aggie asks, curiously.

"My mother," Maria answers, pulling out a golden pocket watch with an embellished rose on it, "She created all the tales dad told me when I was young. He always told me how she was a gifted writer and storyteller! How her words were like magic that brought you into the story itself!"

She opens the watch and hands it to Jolie, "This watch belonged to Mom before she passed. Dad kept a picture of her inside and handed to me when I was old enough. Have a look!"

Jolie carefully takes the watch and examines the photo. The woman in the photo has long, wavy raven hair and eyes as pretty as emeralds. With the exception of their eyes, Maria is a carbon copy of her mother down to their bust sizes!

 _How the hell do you even get boobs that huge?!_ Jolie cannot help thinking, glaring at Maria's impressive rack with envy.

Then, she notices the crack on the watch's face. The time 11:12 has been staring at her for quite a while. She frowns before passing it, "It's broken…"

"It has been for a long time now," Maria confirms, "It stopped working when she died."

Agatha straightens, "It's not haunted… is it?"

Maria raises a brow at the tougher twin. The possibility of Agatha, who gave a group of Zeon troops hell to save her sister, being scared of ghosts is actually amusing.

"No, we don't have very many ghost tales in our village. Even so, Mom was harmless in comparison to dad. You'll be fine!" Maria assures her.

"If you don't mind my asking," Jonah begins as he passes the watch to Kenta, "how did she pass?"

Maria gives him a sad smile, "Dad said she had complications during labor and passed after I came into the world. I guess by telling me her stories and giving me her watch was his way of keeping me connected to her…"

She wipes away a lone tear. Maria rarely cries, but her mother is a sad topic. Especially since Maria never met her. God, watch over her now. Seeing her distress, Jolie and Jonah put comforting hands on Maria as she composes herself.

"Sorry," she breathes, continuing her tale, "I guess long story short, The White Devil and the Rose was about a man with snow white hair and eyes as red as the blood in our veins. He wandered around the land, aimlessly, with no destination in mind. However, everywhere he went he caused trouble by him merely being there! The people would shun him on sight! Gathered the stones and feces of animals to drive him away from the villages! 'You devil!' the people would cry, 'Haven't you done enough! Leave us be and never return!' But, the thing is: this man was stronger than 20 men and had the temper of a dragon! The village would be reduced to rumble in mere minutes!"

"Whoa," Jolie exclaims, "How was he so strong?"

Maria gives her a mischievous grin, "No one knows for sure! Some say that the man descended from the Ancient Dragons who became human long ago. Others believe that a demon came and bedded a local woman and he was the resulting child. I, personally, prefer the Dragons!"

Everyone both laugh and nods with her assessment. This tale is a nice change of pace from all the serious talk. So, they are curious about the rest of the story created by the mother of their busty friend.

"What next?!" Aggie urges her to continue, excitedly.

Maria recalls, "This vicious cycle continued for many years of his life till the Devil came across a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees he had never seen before. Curious, he explored the garden and discovered a young maiden tending to a bush of red roses. The Devil was entranced by her beauty and desired to meet her. But feared that if she saw him, she would flee like a bird and fear him as well! So, he hide in the shadows and continued to watch her from afar from time to time."

"AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?!" Jolie and Alexandria demand in unison.

Maria gives an adorable squeak at the unexpected question from both of them. Kenta chuckles from his spot. It's amusing to watch those two jump on this part. He expects as much from Jolie, as she is certainly the incurable romantic type. Alexandria's response, on the other hand, is unexpected. Given, she did show interest in Chief Petty Officer Ashworth. There might be hope for her if she does make it to ECOAS.

Maria blinks at them before giving them both a knowing smile, "My, look who's eager!"

Alexandria blushes as she tries to make herself invisible. She is not used to the attention. Jolie, in contrast, appears engrossed by the unexpected romantic aspect in the tale.

"For six days, the Devil came by to watch the maiden tend to her garden; to admire her. On the seventh day, he was on his way to see her again when he was stopped by the people of the town. The Devil tried to reason with the people this time, saying 'I'm tired of this. Just let me be'. However, the angry mob refused to let him pass. It continued to escalate, till one of the men drew a rifle and shot the Devil. With the angry mob advancing on him, he managed to flee safely enough and found himself in the maiden's garden as it began to rain. The Maiden was about to head inside when she saw the Devil about to lose consciousness near the tree he watched her from. Though she was startled, the maiden couldn't bear to see someone hurt and brought him inside to the best of her abilities. She tended to his wounds, through which the bullet had passed, and nursed his unconscious form.," Maria continues further.

Jolie squeals in delight, "Oh my God, oh my God! It's happening, it's happen-!"

Alexandria sneaks over and covers her mouth, "Quiet you! We want to hear the end!"

Everyone else nods in agreement with Alexandria. Jolie, sheepishly, mutters her apology and Alexandria removes her hand.

Maria smiles in understanding, "Don't worry this is best part! The Devil woke the next morning to find the maiden, sleeping softly by the bedside. Surprised by what she did, he thanked her when she awoke and ask if she even feared him? She replied, 'I was. But, I feared that you wouldn't live more!' As they spoke to each other, she found that the Devil actually hated violence and that the only reason he fought back was because he hated smelling like shit!"

Everyone laughs as Maria grins, "I won't bore you with the rest. But, days past and the angry mob comes around to the Garden. However, the garden has withered away with the exception of a single red rose alongside a white rose. Miles away, a Devil with white hair runs like mad, carrying the most beautiful Rose he ever loved!"

Everyone cheers for a brief moment. However, it is Jonah who speaks when the commotion dies down.

"Sorry to bring down the mood. But, you, originally, told us it was a sad story," Jonah recalls.

Maria nods, "It is. It was my mom's tale of how she met Dad. Her maiden name was Rosalyn Carmichael and Dad's an albino."

Everyone falls silent, unsure of where Maria is going with this.

"I never realized how true that tale was till I was older. I found out that even happy endings can end bitterly in the long run. And that's why I'm am who I am," Maria concludes, "I love that tale even more, cause although it was brief, my dad found happiness in his life. I'm living proof of that. So, I'll keep reminding him till he's ready to join mom."

Kenta turns to Alexandria next. He already knows he is going to hate himself for this one, but it needs to be done. Fortunately, he doesn't even need to tell her she's up.

"I don't have any stories to tell." Alexandria says coldly.

Kenta sighs, mentally praying for a drink already, "I'm sure there's one in your head somewhere, like that spoon in your sleeve for example. Can I see it?"

"Why?" Alexandria guards her right arm, carefully, as if the spoon itself holds all the darkest secrets she owns. This man already dragged her into a place she hated more than anything in the universe, what the hell did he want with her spoon!?

"Humor me for once," Kenta assures, "I'll give it back."

 _Yet, he won't give me back my Minh Jian!_ Jolie thinks, irritated, _That spoon is just as dangerous!  
_  
It takes a moment for Alexandria to tell that he isn't lying, before she slides the silver spoon over. She refuses to say anything as she watches him examined the spoon, carefully. He may have not been lying, but he knows something. She has to keep her guard up.

"I know this spoon," he begins, causing her to straighten up.

"You used it to butcher a heretic priest at the Side 1 church back in 0083... And what you did to him would have made Jack the Ripper proud," he states, sliding the spoon back into her possession, "It makes me wonder... What do you gotta do to make a three-year-old carve you up like that?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alexandria demands as an image of a man with a golden cross grinning at her from the darkest part of her mind, "What makes you think I murdered that sick fuck!?"

Kenta feels his lip twitch slightly at question. His inner detective gives him that old itchy feeling that makes him want to spill all the evidence out before they can even confess. That challenge the criminals present that made him grin once upon a time. He is surprised that she is managing to bring these old feelings back to him right now.

If only things were different that day… Maybe then…

He gives her the thousand-yard stare as he speaks, "I see you've repressed it as well. That's not surprising."

"I think old age is starting to get to you. You might be getting senile." Alexandria retorts.

 _If only that was the case_ , he wishes, silently, _but no amount of old age can help me forget this again_.

"I remember you asking me if I was going to kill you... And the way you were smiling at me when asked that... it was like the thought of your own death made you happy," he continues, "And that scar under your left eye was a fresh cut at the time."

Alexandria slams her fist against the table before Kenta can answer her, "That's some twisted shit you're pulling out of your ass! I got this scar from-!?"

 _From… where?_ she thinks, confused, _I… I don't remember…?_

Something cracks inside her mind as an image of a broken bottle flashes through it. She frowns in confusion, "...A broken bottle…?"

Kenta watches her for a moment. She is starting to come around. "Sister Margaret here, actually begged me to come to the church in Side 1 and save you from the rest of the orphanage staff. I told her to get the children and any staff who didn't deserve to die for what they did to you out of the building before I showed up... She told me that only the children would be gone under those circumstances."

Sister Margaret looks at her with a sad smile, "That's the truth, unfortunately. Are you sure you don't remember me? I used to work at the orphanage at Side 1."

Alexandria studies the nun for a moment. She seems so much older now. Another crack in her mind produces more pleasant images, thankfully. She was younger then, but was always kind to her. If Saint Monica, herself, was ever embodied, Sister Margaret would be her! This Sister was nothing but good. It seems odd that she doesn't remember her before now, though.

"I think so," Alexandria says carefully, "but I don't recall being a part of the orphanage."

The Sister nods in understanding, "I understand, but I'm glad you at least remember me. May I ask what else you remember?"

"Standing outside the church as it burned down and holding that spoon. It was covered with blood at the time, though," Alexandria answers without hesitation.

"How did the church catch fire? I wasn't there when it happened." Margaret asks, curiously.

Another crack produces the answer as she states, "I don't remember exactly. I think someone was pouring gasoline around the church. It smelled like it anyway."

Jolie glances at Kenta, but his poker face remains impassive. He is actually, however, remembering the moment he had to watch a certain toddler to make sure she wasn't trying to burn herself alive! All while, he dumped at least a ton of gasoline all over the fucking church because he didn't get the luxury of killing the heretical priest himself. He got what he deserved anyway, but a three-year-old girl shouldn't have to do it herself. That was his mistake.

Everyone watches quietly as they try to wrap their heads around Alexandria's inability to remember her time at Side 1.

Jonah leans towards Jolie and whispers, "It's almost like watching a child getting questioned by her mother."

"Yeah, but what's so important about her remembering what happened at that church, though?" Jolie wonders.

"I don't know, but I can tell Alexandria's having a hard time. Whatever it is, I don't think she even wants to remember it. You saw how she acted when Kenta dragged her into the church! If everything Kenta said is true, something about that Church's priest terrifies her." Jonah speculates.

Sister Margaret nods, "I see… You said the spoon wasn't yours, who's is it?"

"Grace Sullen's...she was a sinner." Alexandria replies, hesitantly.

"We're all sinners," Kenta corrects, "we all sin at some point in our lives because it's our nature to do so."

Alexandria shakes her head, "Not from the beginning. She was born a sinner... and she died as one."

"And who taught you that?" Kenta inquires, "Because being sinner is something that is automatically wired into all of us, and it can't be stopped."

This time it is Alexandria who gives him the thousand-yard stare as whatever holds these memories back begins to crumble. A little girl with pigtails and bandages stands behind her. She places a hand on Alexandria's arm and gives her a sad smile. She knows this girl.

"Sorry, Alexandria," Grace apologizes, "but it looks like I'm not allowed to die yet."

Memories begin to flood into her. They horrify her as she curls up, "The man with the golden cross...he hates sinners...they need...they need to be punished...they need to repent...they need to die."

Sister Margaret turns to Kenta and pleads, "Please! I don't want her to suffer anymore!"

"It's better if she faces this now, in a controlled environment. The alternative being she faces it in the field and gets her comrades killed because she had a flashback. Like Hell I'll allow that!" he replies and turns to Alex, "Tell me something: what do you see when your alone in the dark; when your demons come for you?"

Alexandria gives him a terrified stare, "Not see... Hear... Every night... Every night since I was able to talk properly: 'Time to repent, Grace Sullen, time to take your punishment. Don't forget, you can't mess up or we have to do it again!'. Five Hail Marys, Five our fathers... Every night... I couldn't even cry or he'd make it worse if I did... I didn't want to go to hell!"

Jolie remembers the some things they had said to each other. She had told her that she couldn't take her punishment. Alexandria told her that little girl was done repenting. Is this what she had been mad about? Is this what she didn't want to remember?

"She's scared," Jonah comments sadly, "She's really scared, Jolie."

Jolie can't take it anymore, "Will you just leave her alone?! Who cares if she doesn't want to remember?!"

Kenta gives her the the look of a demon as he pulls his .44 out and points it at her as he states, "I'm not shooting blanks today, Minh, and She NEEDS to come to terms with this! We all have our demons, Jolie. It's time for Grace Sullen to face hers!"

Maria stands up, protectively, "If I may, sir, she has a point. We were all under the assumption that this was volunteeringly shared, not forced out in front of strangers."

"Grace Sullen is the daughter of a deceased Zeon Officer." Kenta begins, putting away his gun, "She was treated this way because of her nationality. This is one lesson some of you still need to learn: Zeons are human beings, too."

He turns back to the terrified cadet...no to Grace herself, "Tell us, Grace. Tell us what they would do to you."

Grace shakes her head, furiously "No! Not suppose to tell! God will know and tell him! Grace has to be a good girl! Grace has to be good so mama and papa come for Grace!"

"Grace," Kenta speaks in a commanding tone as he stands up and places his hands on her shoulders, "God will not tell the Priest anything because the Priest is a heretic. That means that everything he has ever told you was a lie... and that God is not his friend... now tell us what he would do to you so he might be punished for it in hell!"

Grace hesitates before she manages to say, "Spanked, whipped, cut up, burned and branded, hit, choked, drowned... Hanged…"

She reaches to a point where she refuses to speak further. There were things he did to her that she doesn't have the strength to speak about; horrible things…unspeakable things.

Kenta takes the hint, "Did he ever touch you anywhere that was inappropriate...no need for words, just nod your head."

She curls up into herself before giving him a slight nod. She doesn't look up. She fears the 'strangers' in the room will hate her, too. What she does not expect is Kenta pulling her into a firm, but gentle hug.

"Thank you for sharing this," he said, "Thank you for seeing this through…and sorry, I was late."

Grace grips his shirt and tears roll down her face, silently. She hasn't cried in a very long time as she says, "I'm tired... I want to sleep."

Kenta nods his head, "Chief Petty Officer Ashworth. Get in here."

As if on cue, young Ashworth walks in and salutes Kenta, "Sir?"

"Grace...Alexandria, this is Lucien Ashworth. He will take you someplace where you can sleep." Kenta explains.

"Okay…," she agrees tiredly as she lets Lucien help her out.

Kenta stares at the girl as she walks out. Perhaps, Grace Sullen did die in a way. It would make sense if she had developed some sort of personality disorder the minute he took her out of the church. Meaning in her mind, Grace Sullen burned with the church a long time ago as her final penance.

 _Or maybe, I am getting old_ , he thought, tiredly.

Kenta drags his hand across his face and sighs, "Michaels, you're up!"

Jonah considers his words carefully before beginning, "I...grew up privileged compared to the rest of you. I was born and raised at Phobos Colony out in the Outer Solar System. My father...I mean, my family was wealthy."

"Go on," Kenta encourages.

"I grew up pretty sheltered," Jonah continues, "I never knew my mother, who died before I was even a year old, but my father, older sister, and older brother ensured that I would never want for anything, and at least until very recently, kept me very far from the frontlines of the wars."

"Phobos," Agatha remarks, "Hey, wait...that place is ruled by the bastard who killed Minh's family! Wow...drama!"

"Alexan…," Jolie begins.

"Quiet," Kenta cuts Jolie off sternly, "You've already had your chance to say your part. It's Cadet Michaels' turn to speak. Go on, Michaels."

Jonah continues, "Life feels pretty secure out at Phobos, largely because Lord Alexander Miguel's efforts have ensured that Phobos…"

Jolie bolts up from her seat, eyes widen, seemingly unhinged, screaming, "MIGUEL IS A MURDERING MONSTER! HE'S NOT FIT TO BE CALLED A MAN! HE…!"

"MINH, SIT THE HELL DOWN, AND SHUT UP!" Kenta roars, rising from his seat.

Before Kenta takes action, though, High Mother Cecilia produces an object...some kind of small, hard, red plastic ball affixed to a vinyl strap, and stuffs the ball into Jolie's mouth, effectively gagging the raging teenager!

Kenta ties the strap around the back of Jolie's head and forces her back into her seat.

"Thank you, High Mother," Kenta nods towards Cecilia.

Keiksuke Ichimonji, one of the former Kabuki Swingers, asks, "Did you ever meet the man personally? Alexander Miguel? What's he really like? I've seen documentaries, read articles, but is he really like how he's portrayed in the media?"

Nervously, and concerned about Jolie, Jonah gulps and continues, "I...I was commissioned to do a portrait of him before I left Phobos. It was the last painting I finished before I left. I was saving up to for passage to Earth and my tuition and living expenses at the art academy, and what I would get for the portrait of Lord Miguel would have been enough to cover me for at least the first year. Lord Miguel isn't as bad as he's often made out to be. At least not always. There's another side to him that the public never sees. Anyway, I've always wanted to paint. From as long as I could remember, I just wanted to make beautiful things...to capture emotions and impressions in the moment through painting, sculpture, and music. I was planning to attend an art academy in France down on Earth after I graduated from high school last summer, but my brother wanted me to join the military, like every man in our family has going back generations."

"Needless to say, you didn't," Kenta remarks.

"No, sir," Jonah admits, "It was totally wrong for me…"

"And yet you're here now," Kenta points out.

"I know it's incongruous, sir," Jonah agrees, "and in fact, that's what I'm getting at. It's very ironic that I came here. I ran away from Phobos so I wouldn't need to become a soldier, but on the way to the Earth Sphere, during a stop at Frontier 8, I witnessed...no, I felt...death...mass death...cold inhumanity...the psychic scream of those whose lives were torn away violently...the emptiness in the souls of those who took those lives. It was...horrifying...the most horrifying thing I ever experienced, and in spite of my earlier misgivings, I felt compelled to join the Earth Federation Forces...to prevent it from happening again."

By this time, Jolie has grown quite agitated, thrashing her way out of Kenta's grip, tearing off the ball gag, and throwing it violently against the wall of the conference room with a loud BANG that damages the ball and the wall alike.

To everyone's surprise, Jolie's fiery ire seems entirely directed towards Jonah, of all people...her beloved partner, "HOW COULD YOU PRAISE THAT PIG MIGUEL?! HE'S NOT FIT TO LIVE! HE'S NOT FIT TO HAVE A NAME! HE'S NOT FIT TO BE ALIVE OR DEAD! HE'S NOT FIT TO EXIST IN THIS WORLD! RRRRRAAAAGGHHH!"

"Oh my, God!" somebody calls out.

Jolie begins lashing out at everyone and everything in sight...like an enraged tornado bent on destruction!

"Somebody restrain her!"

Easier said than done, as Jolie violently lashes out in all directions, each strike easily capable of maiming or killing!

Jolie picks up a chair and begins swinging it around, smashing it against a wall, and then picking up another….

The recruits and the three nuns have taken shelter along the side of the walls...some even exiting the room.

"Jolie...Jolie, STOP!" Jonah pleads, almost getting whacked by the swinging chair.

Captain Kenta, having had enough, slips in stealthily between Jolie's violent swings, catches the chair with one hand while slipping his other arm around Jolie's neck in a sleeper hold.

Jolie thrashes for another ten seconds before falling limp.

"C-Captain," Jonah says tentatively, "Is Jolie…?"

"Out cold for the moment," Kenta says, lifting Jolie in his arms, "Is she made of air? So light. I'm going to drive her down to the infirmary. You all head back to the barracks."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Jolie lies unconscious on a hospital gurney. She is given a sedative and then, for the next four hours, subjected to an fMRI, PET scan, EEG, and MEG tests. Five hours after their arrival at the infirmary, Captain Kenta receives the report from the doctor.

"We got some highly unusual results from the tests we ran on Cadet Minh," the doctor informs Kenta.

"Such as…?" Kenta inquires.

"Cadet Minh has certain rare brain anomalies," the doctor explains, "We sometimes see this in the aftermath of specific types of brain surgeries, but natural cases are exceedingly rare...a billion to one."

"What's the bottom line, Doc?" Kenta demands.

"Cadet Minh's anomalous brain structures means that the frontal and posterior lobes of her cerebrum lack the synchrony that is observed in an ordinary brain. We also found that Cadet Minh's cerebrum lacks a bonding corpus callosum. Among other things, that means she is capable of dual-focus ambidextry."

"Wait a minute," Kenta says, "You mean to say Minh can have her left and right hands doing two different things at the same time?"

"Yes, in theory," the doctor affirms, "the data also reveals that Cadet Minh is likely a high-functioning autistic. Thus, she has difficulty with emotional control and tends to act upon impulse...a condition compounded by what we know of her adolescence, spending six unsupervised years at Industria Colony between the ages of ten and sixteen. She also has lingering PTSD from witnessing the violent deaths of her parents, brother, and neighbors when she was ten. She's really quite a complicated stew of problems, to put it in layman's terms."

"Well the PTSD I could have told you about," Ryusuke comments, "But all the other stuff is news to does make me wonder if she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder before her life went to hell... I'll have to ask her later."

"She'll be coming out of sedation in a few minutes," the doctor advises, "Medically, it would not be advisable for us to keep injecting her with more sedatives, but I know you have to consider the other cadets. What's your call, Captain?"

"Let her go for now," he replies as he turns and walks away, "I'll have made my decision by tomorrow."

Ten minutes later, Jolie opens her eyes as she lies in uniform on a hospital bed. Regaining full consciousness after a few seconds, her first instinct is to bolt upright and take a vicious swing with her right fist.

Kenta deftly catches Jolie's fist in the palm of his left hand, harmlessly dissipating the force of the strike, "You're going to have to get this tendency to swing at people under control, Minh."

"Fuck you!" Jolie snarls, pulling her legs close to her chest.

"You can sulk all you want," Kenta says firmly, "but you still have to return to barracks now, and when you get there, I expect you to conduct yourself properly. Do I make myself clear, Cadet Minh?"

"Hmph," is all Jolie says as she acrobatically flips herself off the bed onto her feet.

As she walks away, Kenta asks, "You ever heard of autism?"

Jolie stops in her tracks, "Yeah...why?"

"Where and under what circumstances?" Kenta pursues.

Jolie thinks for a moment, "I think...I heard about it when I was still in school...but...wait no...the day before the attack on Quebec."

"Where at?" Kenta continues.

Jolie puts her hands on top of her head, "Home...Mommy and Daddy were saying something about autism. Some kind of special doctor came to my school's health office and I was sent there for some weird test."

"Well, this actually explains a lot," he tells her, "You have High Functioning Autism."

Jolie takes a moment to process what Kenta has just told her, finally asking, "Does that mean I can't pilot mobile suits?"

"No, it just means you need to take medications with breakfast and before bed," Kenta tells her as he hands her four bottles with two different colors on the lids: red and blue. "Take the ones with the red lids in the morning, and the ones with the blue lids at night before bed. One pill from both of the red ones. Two from the blue ones."

Jolie pockets the bottles into her uniform jacket.

"Try not to kill anybody when you get back to the barracks, Minh," Kenta says gravely as he directs her to the jeep waiting outside at the infirmary parking lot.

* * *

The recruits give Jolie a wide berth when she returns to the barracks, none of them wanting to be within swinging range if her rage has not passed.

Jonah, however, eagerly runs up to Jolie, taking her by the shoulders, eyes filled with concern as he whispers, "Are you all right?"

Jolie gives him a hurt look...eyes moist with tears of betrayal. She tries to say something, but cannot. She pushes past him on her way to her bunk.

"Jolie!" Jonah calls out as he attempts to follow her, only to find himself checked by Captain Kenta.

"Better give her some space for a while, Michaels," Kenta tells him, "She's liable to bite your head off right now."

"But sir…" Jonah begins.

"Frankly," Kenta tells the younger man, "you two need some time apart. I'm taking Cadet Minh for a week of specialized training."

"But...then who will…?" Jonah ventures.

"Captain Faith Koo," Kenta answers, "Skoo will make sure you young jokers get your proper workout."

* * *

Not wanting to spend the rest of Sunday on the base, Jolie wanders out into the city. She needs to get away from Jonah for a while, as painful as it is, to clear her head.

 _Maybe I shouldn't be mad at him_ , Jolie considers, _he did grow up at Phobos, so maybe all he's ever heard growing up was how "great" that Zeke pig Miguel is, but..._

Jolie finds herself distracted as, half a kilometer from the base perimeter, she comes across a scrapyard...smaller than her own back at Industria Colony. Unable to resist, Jolie jumps the fence into the yard.

An object lying on a pile of scrap catches her attention….a piece of rusted iron...thin and flat, shaped in the broadest sense like a sword.

 _Kenta took away the_ Minh Jian _,_ Jolie thinks to herself, _but I still need a training weapon._

Jolie picks up the sword-like piece of scrap metal and takes a few practice swings and jabs.

 _Not perfect_ , Jolie concludes, _but good enough for now._

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jolie is back at the base _dojo_ , practicing her sword technique using her makeshift scrap metal "sword."

Captain Kenta passes outside, and does a double take when he spots Jolie swinging the scrap metal.

Kenta strides into the _dojo_ , a look of exasperation on his face, "DROP IT, MINH! NOW!"

"Why?" Jolie asks innocuously.

Kenta sighs, "Ever heard of tetanus?"

"Tennis?" Jolie replies.

Kenta knocks the scrap metal out of her hand and marches her out of the _dojo_.

"Where are you taking me NOW?" Jolie demands.

"Back to the infirmary," Kenta replies, herding her to the jeep.

"Why?" Jolie asks.

"To get a big ass shot!" Kenta answers curtly, gunning the engine of the jeep.

"But I've already had one today," Jolie protests.

Kenta almost cannot help grinning, "Not like this one."

Jolie gulps, "On the arm or on my ass?"

Kenta, "Fortunately for you, on the arm...or you wouldn't be able to sit for a week."

* * *

One hour later, Kenta and Jolie walk out of the infirmary, Kenta grinning ear-to-ear with amusement and Jolie, fuming, holding her left arm just below the shoulder.

"That…" Jolie complains, "was fucking uncomfortable."

"Minh, I'm beyond sick of asking, but...what were you thinking, anyway?" Kenta probes.

"I needed a new sword," Jolie retorts, "You took the _Minh Jian_ away, but I still need to train! How was I going to do that without a sword?"

"If you were half as good as you think you are," Kenta answers, "you wouldn't ask such a question. You still remember what I said to you the other day? You're a scatterbrain, Minh. You don't focus."

"I know, I know," Jolie says, irritated, "I don't think...wait, what is this place?"

Jolie followed Kenta without paying attention to where he was leading her, and she finds herself inside a small industrial shed outfitted with appears to be a forge and an assortment of tools.

"Welcome to the workshop, Cadet Minh," Kenta tells her, "For the next seven days, you and I are going to forge a new _jian_ , and a new you."

* * *

Back at the barracks, Cadet Jonah Michaels mopes around in abject misery. He just doesn't feel right without Jolie present...like a part of himself is missing.

He reaches out with his mind, _Jolie...Jolie, do you 'hear' me?_

Psychic silence.

 _Jolie_.

A response finally comes, but it is brief and disheartening, _Go away. Don't want to talk to you now._

Jonah sighs sadly, his thoughts gloomy until he sees Haro rolling into view.

"Jonah! Jonah!" the spherical robot chirps..

"Haro," Jonah exhales, lifting Haro with one hand, "Hey...you think you can find Jolie?"

"Find Jolie! Find Jolie!" Haro seems to agree.

"Yeah," Jonah smiles wanly, "See if you can locate her. If you do, come back here and tell me where she is."

"Find Jolie! Find Jolie!" Haro bounces twice and rolls away.

* * *

"Keep shoveling, Minh!" Kenta barks, "Give it some muscle power!"

Jolie has spent the past thirty minutes shoveling load after load of coals into Kenta's forge. It's strenuous work, and Jolie has worked up such a sweat that she has removed her salmon pink cadet's jacket, wearing only a sports bra on her upper body.

Jolie wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, "How much more, _Sensei_? Seriously, do you even need this much coal to get this forge going?!"

"Just shut up and keep shoveling, Minh," Kenta answers, "You'll find out soon enough."

Cursing the man beneath her breath, Jolie continues shoveling the coal into the forge, getting a better workout than she would back in the base weight room.

"HURRY YOUR ASS UP, MINH!" Kenta demands.

"OK! OK! OK!" Jolie yells back, shoveling faster.

After five minutes, Kenta finally tells her, "All right, that's enough!"

"Thank God!" Jolie exhales, dropping the shovel and collapsing onto her ass.

"Get up," Kenta tells her, "you're going to be working the hand crank next."

"But I…" Jolie protests.

Kenta glares at her.

Jolie scrambles to her feet and runs to the hand crank.

Straining with both arms, Jolie gets the hand crank moving after a tremendous struggle.

The forge begins to heat to a hellish temperature, the light of its fires reflected in Kenta's eyes.

* * *

At the mobile suit hangars, 1Lt. Molly Duran, chief engineer of the MS pool, busily directs her technician crew as they perform routine maintenance on the Centurion Gundam.

Molly looks up from her work as she sees Captain Athena Ibaz, commanding officer of the Centurion Team, approaching, elegant as ever in her uniform, dark overcoat, and officer's hat.

"Captain Ibaz, ma'am," salutes Molly.

Athena returns the salute, "I need the Centurion Gundam prepared for combat testing by 04:00."

"Yes, ma'am," Molly salutes again, "We'll have it ready to go. 'Combat tests,' eh?"

"Every pilot in my unit needs to become familiar with its operation," is all Athena says in reply as she leaves the hangar.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Athena is in the office of her direct superior, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, "I see you've filed for a combat test of the Centurion Gundam for 04:00 tomorrow."

"Yes," Athena replies, "each of our pilots will be trained in operating it."

"Why?" Christina questions, "It's going to be assigned to Jolie Minh, assuming she survives Ryusuke's training regimen."

Athena nods, "That's just the thing: nothing is guaranteed. We need every pilot capable of taking the Centurion Gundam into combat, should the need arise."

Christina nods, "I see the logic of it."

"How is Jolie coming along?" Athena asks, "I went to visit yesterday, and Captain Koo told me that Kenta has taken Jolie...for special training?"

Christina smiles, "If anybody can get that wildcat of yours under control, it's Ryusuke."

* * *

Jolie takes the mass of glowing hot molten metal out of the forge with tongs and runs to the anvil.

"Don't run with that, Minh," Kenta admonishes.

Jolie slows down, using the large tongs to carry the molten metal, setting it down on the surface of a large anvil.

Kenta brings a long, heavy iron hammer down upon the glowing mask, creating sparks and a vibration that travels through the tongs to every bone in Jolie's body.

"How long is this gonna take?" Jolie demands, ever impatient.

"It will take," Kenta says as he swings the heavy hammer again and again,"as long as it takes."

Kenta continues pounding on the metal, and feeling the mass slipping on the anvil, barks out, "HOLD IT STEADY, DAMN IT!"

"OK! OK! OK!" Jolie retorts, reinforcing her grip.

Her teeth clenched, Jolie holds down the molten metal as Kenta beats it into shape.

The banging of the hammer against the anvil continues hour after hour, well into the night…

* * *

01:30...Jolie plops onto one of the beds in the sleeping quarters of the forge facility, exhausted and oblivious.

The electronic door guard chimes, and verifying the identity of his visitor Captain Kenta opens the door to receive his expected guest, 1Lt. Eric Gardner of the Intelligence Corps, who has come in response to Kenta's request for a meeting… as well as groceries.

1Lt. Gardner sets the bags down and says,begins, "Look, I'm still trying find out who Captain Athena Ibaz really is, Captain Kenta. I can't drop it and run a search for this...what's the kid's name?"

"There's no need to pursue the case with Athena Ibaz any further, Lieutenant Gardner," Kenta tells him as he starts putting the food away. "It's one of the new recruits, Cadet Jonah Michaels. Have the Fairy run an extensive check on the Miguel families birth records... I got a feeling about this one."

1Lt. Gardner nods, "Well...if it's important to you, Kenta, I'll run it by the Fairy."

"Tell her to do an extensive sweep of all Neo Zeon Encrypted Servers in the Outer Solar System," Kenta adds, "No stone unturned. No traces either."

"You got it, Captain," Gardner replies, and spotting Jolie sprawled on the bed inside the sleeping quarters, "and I take it that Lt. Col. Mackenzie is aware you've got very attractive young woman here."

"She knows," Kenta answers, handing Gardner a cup of hot green tea, "you Intelligence Corps guys aren't the only ones who understand the value of information."

* * *

Kenta rouses Jolie by 05:00. Four and a half hours of sleep, which might be more than a combat MS pilot would get during a particularly torrid mission.

Jolie pours out a bowl of corn flakes...half into the bowl, half onto the table, does the same with the milk, and eats almost like a mindless zombie...certainly how she feels at the moment.

"Didn't you learn any table manners at home?" Kenta asks, after swallowing a spoonful from his own bowl of corn flakes.

"Not this early, after that late a night," Jolie slurs, looking like she's about to pitch face down into the cereal bowl.

"You've got fifteen minutes to eat," Kenta tells her, rinsing out his now empty bowl, "Then, crank up the forge."

"Yes, Sensei," Jolie yawns.

Fifteen minutes later, Jolie strains to turn the crank to heat up the forge. After several minutes, the room begins to heat up intensely.

 _She sees him handsome in her view, dressed like a prince in military regalia that are NOT in the colors of the Earth Federation Forces, which she finds disturbing...Jonah? Similarly Athena Ibaz...in her mind's eye, clad in a foreign military uniform that she finds disturbingly familiar._

Perhaps it is the warmth of the forge room...or her four and a half hours of sleep...likely a combination of both factors, but when Jolie's eyes snap wide open from having drifted off, she smells the scent of burned hair...and feels a scorching heat rising up her back…

"OH MY GOD!" Jolie jumps up, "SENSEI! SENSEI! HELP! MY HAIR'S ON FIRE! AHHHHHHH!"

Jolie runs around the room, vainly trying to escape her own burning hair.

Kenta calmly enters the room, bucket in hand, yelling, "Damn it, Minh! Stop running around like a chicken without a head! You're making it worse!"

The One Year War veteran grabs a handful of Jolie's uniform jacket as she streaks by, and dumps the cold water from the bucket over her head

Jolie sits on the ground, drenching wet, the lower part of her hair badly singed, definitely wide awake now.

"You OK?" Kenta asks.

"My hair!" Jolie holds the dead, scorched fiber in her hands, "MY HAIR! OH, GOD! I'M BALD! I'M BALD!"

"No," Kenta tells her, hiding his amused smile behind his hand, "Not nearly that bad...but the bottom five or six centimeters will definitely need to be trimmed. You're going to need to get used to being a relatively short-haired cutie for the next few months, Minh!"

"Oh, no!" Jolie complains.

"Fortunately, I've taken up a lot of hobbies over the last 18 years since the One Year War ended," Ryusuke adds as he takes her onto the bathroom and stands her in front if the mirror. He walks over to a medicine cabinet over the toilet and pulls out a black plastic container. He then opens it to reveal a barber's kit, "One of which was cutting hair."

"Yeah?" Jolie frets bitterly, fingering the burned fibers, "and which beauty school licensed you to be a stylist?"

"None," he replies, "I learned to cut hair... Christina insisted I learn to style it so she wouldn't have to pay the hair salon an ungodly amount of money to do her hair... took a lot of trial and error, but I figured out how to do it."

Remembering that Lt. Col. Mackenzie has quite attractive-looking red hair, Jolie calms down a bit.

"Now it's going to be shorter...a LOT shorter than what you're used to," Kenta tells her, "Above your shoulders. How do you want it?"

Jolie thinks about it for a moment, then answers, "Like 'Thena's. I want to look like 'Thena!"

"Young Athena Ibaz," Kenta says, getting to work with the shears, "You've got it."

"She's so cool and pretty," Jolie remarks, "I wish I could be like her."

"Different people have different callings," Kenta says, "The world already has an Athena Ibaz; your job is to be Jolie Minh."

"Meaning what?" Jolie asks.

"Meaning that the Earth Federation Forces have a lot invested in both you and Captain Ibaz," Kenta answers, snipping away, "but to serve different functions. Some are meant to lead, and others are meant to fight. You are most definitely meant to fight."

Within minutes, Kenta has reshaped Jolie's hair into a reasonable facsimile of Athena's...not a verbatim carbon copy, as Jolie's hair characteristics are different from Athena's, but a close enough approximation that Jolie is delighted with the results.

"Arigato, Sensei!" Jolie squeals, liking what she sees in the mirror.

"Your hair grows fast," Kenta remarks, "and you'll have your original length and look back within three or four months. Anyway, get back to the forge and get working! We've lost valuable time, and at midday, we're going to pay a visit to a friend."

"Visit to a friend?" Jolie asks, curious, "Who?"

"You'll find out later," Kenta tells her, "Get to work and this time, be careful! Your hair caught on fire because you failed to pay attention to what you were doing."

"Yes, sir," Jolie replies as she takes her place at the forge and resumes cranking.

Meanwhile, Kenta turns on the television and tunes into UCN Hourly Report.

UCN's anchor Ken Cheng reports gravely, "Heavy casualties in the colonies of Jupitorius during an attack raid by Zeon Dominion of Themisto today. Initial reports coming from the Jupitorius sector indicate that up to 200,000 civilians and military personnel are presently missing after Themisto mobile suits abruptly attacked a Jupiter Energy Fleet cargo cruiser docked at Haly. The Callisto Zeon Faction has been aiding the Jupiter Energy Fleet in exchange for fuel, and experts are convinced that Themisto committed such hostilities in retaliation..."

Kenta switches it off, troubled, _Things are heating up out there in the Outer Solar System, as sure as they are in this forge. It's only a matter of time before these kids we're training will need to be deployed. We'd best be ready this time...not caught off guard like we were every single time before._

Kenta walks over towards the anvil to continue the sword-forging work with Jolie.

* * *

As the "wannabe" Athena Ibaz prepares for several hours of slaving over sword-making, the real Captain Athena Ibaz is busily putting Centurion Team through its paces, observing and recording notes into the computer of her RGZ-95C ReZEL Commander Type as the MS pilots under her command try their hand on the RX-780 Centurion Gundam.

"Stick with the plan and follow directives," Athena orders as Chief Warrant Officer Geoff Sutcliffe directs the Centurion Gundam into action against recycled test Zakus, "I'll put you in the stockade if you showboat."

Captain Ibaz's remark is not specifically addressed, but Sutcliffe cannot help that it's a personal dig at him. Nevertheless, the young Briton maintains his composure and adheres to Athena's specific and carefully laid out plan instead of freelancing. Rebel though he is by nature, Sutcliffe is enough of a professional to not fool around and canny enough to know that Captain Ibaz never makes empty or idle threats.

Satisfied with Sutcliffe's performance at the Centurion Gundam's controls, Athena declares, "Chief Luna! You're up next!"

Sutcliffe exits the Centurion Gundam's cockpit, floating to the nearby waiting shuttlecraft as Chief Warrant Officer Karyn Luna prepares to board the mobile suit next.

"Don't fall on your face, Island Girl," Sutcliffe teases, high-fiving her.

"Yeah, go choke, Limey Boy," Luna counters.

Athena observes carefully and records the data...the Centurion Team pilots are well-trained and well-conditioned, but lack actual combat experience. Will they be ready?

* * *

At around noon the same day, Kenta and Jolie take a break from their backbreaking, sword-making endeavors to pay a visit to Alexandria at the infirmary. On the way, Jolie stops by a fresh produce stand to buy an enormous fruit basket for the patient. Kenta considers talking her out of it, but decides to keep his mouth shut.

A hospital orderly guides them to room 206, where Alexandria has been housed for the past several days since her outburst at the church of St. Monica. As the door opens, Alexandria spots the two visitors and, eyes wild, immediately strikes out at Jolie!

"Whoa, whoa!" Jolie protests, holding up the fruit basket to shield herself from Alexandria's wild strikes, "Th' hell, Alexandria?! Don't you recognize us?!"

Alexandria backs off, examines Jolie closely, and then widens her eyes in recognition, "...Jolie?"

"Yeah, it's me!" Jolie says, "Geeze, I come to visit you and you try to take my head off as soon as you see me?"

"Your hair," Alexandria answers, "th' hell?"

"Like the new style?" Jolie grins.

"But why…?" Alexandria begins.

"Cadet Minh had a little accident this morning with a forge," Kenta tells her, "you should have been there."

Attempting to draw Alexandria's attention away from her embarrassing episode with the forge, Jolie thrusts the fruit basket towards the patient, "Look at what we got you! Plenty of Vitamin C and fiber!"

Alexandria smiles and says, "Thanks, but, um…"

"What?" Jolie responds, frowning, "This cost a good twenty credits!"

"I'm actually allergic to most fresh fruits," Alexandria confesses sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry," Jolie apologizes, "Didn't know."

"It's OK," Alexandria answers, "Still appreciate it. I can handle the oranges and bananas. The pears, apples, and cherries, not so much..."

Jolie tears open the package, extracts and orange and offers it to Alexandria.

She reaches for an orange only to realize that it's reaching for Jolie's throat instead. Panicking, she forces herself into a wall. "Stop it! She's not gonna hurt us, damn it, now give me my arm back!"

It takes a moment, but Alexandria feels the arm go limp. She tests each arm movement to make sure it's back under her control. She sighs in relief when she is comfortable that she's back in control...at least for now.

"Sorry," Alexandria apologizes, "I... I haven't been myself lately... I can barely stay in control for long periods of time."

Ryusuke's inner detective is aroused once again as he asks, "What was that about?"

Alexandria gives him a pointed looked as she retorts, "Take a wild guess! You're the one that woke her up from the 'dead' and now she won't leave me alone!"

"I thought it strange that they put you in the psychiatric ward," he commented, "Minh, keep Alex and Grace company... I have to talk to the shrink in charge of this place."

After Kenta leaves the room, Jolie hears a odd giggle from Alexandria.

"My, my, the devil hasn't aged a day! Certainly, wouldn't mind selling him my soul," she nearly sings, giggling again.

Jolie gives Alexandria a sidelong glance, "Um...Alexandria? You OK? You're starting to spook me out a little.""

"What? He is attrac-" the strange Alexandria smashes her own head hard against the wall. Jolie notices with alarm the dent Alexandria made.

Alexandria groans in pain, "Ah…fuck…"

Jolie grabs hold of Alexandria and puts her in a half nelson, "Alex...for the love of God, get a grip!"

Jolie raises her voice towards the door as she continues struggling with Alexandria, "HEY! We can really use some help here in 206!"

Two nurses and a physician rush into the room. Jolie releases Alexandria to their care, then watches in abject horror as the nurses restrain Alexandria while the doctor prepares a needle.

"Hey, wait a minute," Jolie protests, "What are you doing to he…?"

"No! Stop! I don't want any fucking tranqs, I just want to sleep! Please, let me go! Please, God!" Alexandria screams bloody hell as she tries to get out of their hold.

The doctor prepares to inject Alexandria, but before the needle can enter her skin, the Devil returns. Ryusuke Kenta quickly grabs the doctor by the wrist and forces the syringe into the man's neck before Injecting the concoction into him.

"Do yourselves a favor and get out," he tells the three.

The nurses appear uncertain for a moment, but prudently let go of Alexandria, who immediately retreats into a corner. Even after the nurses take the doctor away, Alexandria remains on guard.

Jolie regards Alexandria, noting her tired, haggard appearance, wan and hair askew.

"Thanks," Alexandria mutters, trying to run her fingers through her hair, "I'd rather die than get tranqed by them again."

"Luckily for you, I'll be handling your treatment from now on," Kenta tells her, "I happen to have a better understanding of a fractured mind than the so-called experts in the field of psychology."

"Anything on how to get her to sleep? Alexandria asks hopefully, "Or to get off of my back long enough to take a shower? Last time I did, I woke up bound to the bed cause some security guards had to pin down and tranq my naked ass from walking out the door!"

"Step one: learning to co-exist," Kenta replies.

Alexandria merely stares at him, "Yeah...that could take a while. Got anything to stop her in the meantime?"

"Your looking at it," Kenta reveals.

Alexandria just stares at him, dumbfounded, "Come again, samurai detective?"

"If she tries anything monumentally stupid, I'll stop her," he elaborates.

"This is gonna be some therapy program," Jolie comments sarcastically.

"And it'll work out better in the long run," Kenta tells the young Phoenix.

Alexandria doesn't share the enthusiasm as she gives an interesting combination of dread and...ecstasy?

"Oh, God, please fuck me now!" Alexandria, strangely, blurts out, then blushes in horror, "Please ignore that!"

Jolie points at Alexandria and looks towards Kenta, "See? This is like a movie I saw when I was a kid! There was this girl and a priest and...!"

Kenta shuts her down, "Put a lid on it, Minh."

"What's a movie?" Alexandria asks, curiously, as she acts strange again, "It sounds interesting. Is it like a puppet show?"

"I'll put one on for while Cadet Minh and I work on forging her new jian," Ryusuke says with an exasperated sigh, "That work for you, Grace?"

Grace grins, "Can it be the one she mentioned? I'm actually very curious about it."

"Sorry, but I don't own that one," he replies, "Besides, I'm not exactly a fan of the horror genre... too many dumb decisions for my tastes."

Grace pouts, but shrugs, "A 'rain check,' I suppose? Though, I'll be counting on you to show me that movie, girly. So, don't forget~"

Not two seconds later did she bolt up again, very confused. Seeing them, she instantly relaxes before panicking slightly.

"I didn't do anything weird... right?" she inquires hesitantly.

Jolie looks back and forth between Alexandria and Kenta, "Um...what the hell's going on here, _Sensei_?"

Kenta answers, "A long and extremely complex explanation made short, there are two people in her head."

Jolie blinks, "Shouldn't we take her to see a psy...psycho...psyche...you know, a mental doctor?!"

"Psychiatrist, and no," he replies, "They're literally the most useless doctors in the world."

"But we're out of our league here, _Sensei_ ," Jolie protests, "We pilot mobile suits and shoot other mobile suits. This kind of stuff isn't what we do at all!"

"You would be out of your league," he counters calmly, "I, however, have a degree in criminal psychology, and my own share of mental issues...I'm perfectly equipped to help them."

So saying, he begins walking out the door and down the corridor, with Alexandria/Grace in tow.

Jolie, quickly grabbing the uneaten fruits and the basket (20 credits, after all!), chases after them, "So what movie are you going to show her...them...I mean…?"

"Haven't decided yet," Kenta answers, as three bodies and four minds board the jeep and speed back to the forge.

* * *

At the base, Captain Faith "Skoo" Koo presides over the training routines of the cadets. If the cadets had any expectation that Captain Koo would go easier on them than Captain Kenta, they find themselves sorely disappointed. "Skoo" is no less the taskmaster than Kenta.

A veteran mobile suit pilot who has logged more combat hours than any other active Federation MS pilot (including the late Captain Charlie Kissingham), Skoo has the cadets on mobile suit simulators, walking them through the basics of mobile suit operation.

Skoo stomps over to Cadet Jonah Michaels as, for the fifth time in an hour, his simulated mobile suit trips on its own feet and falls over, a product of Jonah's lack of concentration and focus.

"Get your ass UP, Michaels!" Skoo bellows, "Th' hell is wrong with you, Cadet?!"

"S-sorry, Captain," Jonah answers contritely, struggling to get the simulated MS to its feet.

"'SORRY' isn't going to cut it, Cadet!" Skoo snarls into Jonah's face, "The enemy isn't going to care how 'sorry' you are! He isn't going to be sorry to blast your sorry ass to smithereens!"

"Yes, ma'am," Jonah chokes out.

* * *

After training is finished for the day, Jonah is eager to see if Haro has had any success in locating Jolie's. He finds no sign of the mechanical ball anywhere on the barracks grounds, but he does run into the formidable presence of Captain Skoo Koo, current training officer of the recruits, who calls out to him, "Cadet Michaels, I'd like to have have word with you."

"Yes, ma'am," Jonah answers dutifully, following Skoo to the training instructor's office (usually occupied by Captain Kenta), and dreads the verbal reaming that he expects.

Skoo closes the office door, "I know what the problem is, Michaels. Kenta gave me the full story on you. It's that girl of yours...Minh! Yeah, she's a goddamn cutie, no question about it, but you're going to have to suck it up and get your mind off of her, unless you don't have a problem with getting killed! Worst of all, you might get any of these people here, including me, killed if you fuck up because you were mooning over some bitch! Do you hear me, CADET?!"

"Loud and clear, ma'am!" Jonah answers.

"Listen, Michaels," the One Year War veteran tells him, "I've been in MS combat since well before you were born. I've seen scores of comrades-at-arms go down in flames. I reckon a good number of them went down because they didn't have their shit together in combat."

"I understand, ma'am," Jonah says meekly.

Faith stands up and walks to a cabinet and pulls out a box before saying, "I made sure that this little guy didn't interrupt your girlfriend's training."

Jonah takes the box and opens it to reveal a now deactivated Haro. "But… why?"

"Right now, Jolie doesn't want to talk to you, so the best thing you can do is give her some space," Skoo explains as she sits back down and folds her hands on the desk. She then fixes him in a glare that only a battle-hardened veteran of war could give and says, "She'll be returning by the end of the week, so you can talk to her then."

"I think she's mad at me because I wasn't entirely forthright with her about...some things," Jonah admits.

"I don't care what it is," she replies swiftly, "but what you need to understand is that it can wait… is that clear, Cadet Michaels?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jonah agrees, though not entirely convinced.

"Dismissed," Skoo tells him.

 _Teenagers_ , Skoo can't help smiling, _what can you do with teenagers?_

* * *

Back at the forge, Kenta and Jolie are hard at work again, putting in double time to make up for the time lost from Jolie's hair mishap and the visit to the infirmary.

Kenta brings the hammer down upon the metal with mechanical regularity, Jolie holding the piece steady in place. Alexandria/Grace has fallen asleep on the couch in the commons area.

"Hey, _Sensei_ ," Jolie pipes up.

"Say it, Minh," Kenta answers, not pausing in his hammering.

"So what are we going to do about Alexandria and the friend she's got in her head?" Jolie asks directly.

"Their current condition is currently referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder... but I prefer the name they had for it before: Multiple Personality Disorder, or MPD," he explains, "And you should understand that these personalities never start off on good terms with each other... Co-existence can be attained, but it is rarely there from the start... I'll be working on creating a mutual agreement between the two so they can co-exist."

"So weird," Jolie comments, "are the two of them gonna be sharing one body forever like that?"

"Possibly," he replies, "but there's also a chance that they might one day merge."

They continue to work straight through until the time of the evening meal, when they are joined by Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie.

Christina enters the forge carrying what appears to be a picnic basket, "You done impressing Cadet Minh with your macho ways, Ryu?"

Ryusuke waves Christina in as he cooks a high protein dinner consisting of pan-seared hamburgers stuffed with melty cheese and a spoonful of diced jalapeno peppers. He also has bacon being cooked in the oven on a cookie sheet for those who want to add it to their burger. "Hey Angel, what movie did you choose?"

"Well, given our viewers' clear preference for horror, and your need for something that you can at least tolerate, I chose a classic I know you love," she said with a smile as she pulled out said movie, " _The Crow_ , staring Brandon Lee as Eric Draven."

"Good choice," he replies as he places the burgers on four individual plates. He then peels a slice of pepperjack cheese out of the package and places it on his. "What kinda cheese you girls want on your burger? I got American, Swiss, Provolone, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, and Muenster."

"Yeah, that'll work," Jolie answers absently, focused entirely on Alexandria, as if expecting something to leap out of the other young woman.

"Which one?" Kenta demands emphatically.

"One of each," Jolie responds, still fixated on Alexandria.

Kenta realizes that the girl isn't paying attention, and a sinister grin spreads across his face as he says, "Do you want some Mad Dog .357 on your burger too?"

"Yeah, sure," Jolie answers, inspecting Alexandria like a junior science lab tech examining a specimen.

Five minutes later, Kenta hands a burger on a plate to Jolie. Jolie barely notices until she takes a bite of the burger, "Hey, _Sensei!_ This isn't bad! It's got some zing to-OHMYGAD!"

Jolie gulps down water from her own glass, Kenta's, Christina's, and Alexandria's before gasping, "Where's this from? Hell's kitchen?"

Kenta pulls out a bottle and says, "Mad Dog .357 Hot Sauce... You weren't paying attention, and that can cause trouble."

Jolie stares it the bottle before saying, "So that's what? Hellfire in a bottle?!"

Ryusuke and Christina immediately start laughing as the red head says, "God no, not even close!"

"You think this is hot? Wait until you have your Skoo Special," the Devil in Black says with an evil grin.

"I think I'll pass," Jolie says with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"No can do Minh," Kenta tells the girl.

"It's the Londo Bell Special Forces rite of passage to eat a Skoo Special," Christina adds.

"What's that?" Grace asks innocently, "Sounds dangerous to me."

"The Skoo Special is a way of preparing Thai food, which is notorious for being spicy to begin with, named after Captain Faith Koo, known to her friends as Skoo. It turns the heat up so high that even the Devil in Black can barely stomach it," Christina replies.

"Once a month for health reasons," Kenta adds, "Which you have a habit of doing with me."

"Is it good for constipation?" Jolie asks, "I get backed up a lot."

"Anything involving that much spice helps with that," Ryusuke chuckles.

"Anything with high amounts of capsaicin will do that," Christina giggles before receiving a text message. She checks her phone and says, "Looks like I'm needed."

As Christina leans forward to kiss her boyfriend, she senses the intense hostility from the shortest girl in the room. It doesn't take her long to figure out that Grace Sullen is still there and has become infatuated with her boyfriend... nor does it surprise her when the girl launches herself across the table with that spoon brought to bear. What _does_ surprise both Grace and Jolie is how Lt. Col. Mackenzie reacted. Rather than flee, Christina quickly reaches out her right hand and grabs her assailant by the wrist.

Grace feels a shiver of fear run down her spine when she sees the way Christina is looking at her with amusement in her eye... and then she catches a glimpse of their darkness. A Red Demoness briefly stands in Christina's place...glowing yellow eyes observing her with the same amusement... and in Kenta's place appears a Black Demon with glowing red eyes that reflect a sadistic pride and joy at his red skinned mate's handling of the situation.

"I'm not surprised by your infatuation with my boyfriend," Christina says, the amused look never leaving the one eye the other two girls could see, "I'm not even surprised by your lack of restraint, Gracie... what am surprised by is your lack of foresight... it shows just how childish you really are."

She then plants the kiss on her boyfriend's cheek and says, "Go easy on her."

Grace looks dumbfounded by this. What the hell?! There are two now; a happily-mated pair. And she fucked up. She always fucks up. That's why she is a sinner, after all.

And yet, the red devil had forgiven her as well. She stared after her in a sense of admiration rather than hate now. As much as she wanted to be apart of the trio, she thought better of it. However, that didn't stop the slight blush dusting her cheeks.

Jolie, quite shocked by what she has just witnessed goes wide-eyed and demands, "What. The Fuck. Was THAT!?"

A devilish grin appears on Grace's face, "What? Never seen two devils in the same room before? Poor thing! You didn't know what to do with all that hot action, did you?"

"It seems you have a thing for demons," Kenta says with mild interest.

"Demons and devils always forgave me," she sighs, watching the door close behind Christina, "God and his angels never showed me forgiveness. Always punishment, never forgiveness. So, I hate them."

"Demons were angels once themselves," Kenta replies, "Until they were corrupted... we forgive you because you haven't been transformed into one despite the efforts of a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Is that what you think?" Grace asks, finally turns to him with sad smile, "I may not be a demon, but I can't go back to being an angel either, so a sinner's fine by me!"

"No offense, _Sensei_ , but I, personally,think she's a demon." Jolie commented.

"Ah, aren't you sweet! Just like those fucking Angels I hate so much! You're too goody-goody and it makes me puke!" Grace spat, sweetly, as she flashes Jolie a devilish grin, "But, in all honesty, I still fancy myself a sinner regardless. Only devils have the ability to forgive and I'm not qualified enough for that! Still, I appreciate your compliment, though, despite your innocence… Or do you actually have an inkling of what I had to do?"

Surprisingly, Grace yawns as she doesn't expect an answer out of Jolie, "Anyway, I won't try to kill the red one anymore. I'll let the other one play for now. Night!"

Jolie points at herself, "Angel? Goody-goody? ME? She's GOT to be kidding!"

"What's this about Minh being good? Everything sounded like my head was underwater," Alexandria groans, "Though no offense, Minh, I don't think heaven allows wild animals past their pearly gates... Valhalla makes more sense to me; die like a warrior and spend the afterlife eating and drinking like one. Add the occasionally brawl and valkyries serving you? Yeah, I would want go there when I die."

"Me, good," Jolie snorts before breaking out into a table-pounding cackle, tears streaming from the sides of her eyes as if somebody had told her the funniest joke ever told.

"What's so damn funny, Minh?" Alexandria demands.

"What your friend in there said about me," Jolie says, biting into an orange, "you don't have any idea of the body count I piled up at Industria!"

"W-what?" Alexandria stammers, certain she heard wrong.

"Body count," Jolie repeats, between bites of orange, "Industria was a rough place to grow up."

"So...you've killed people too…," Alexandria says, somehow surprised, even though she knows she shouldn't be.

"Fifteen," Jolie supplements, munching on the orange and grabbing a pear.

"You're shitting me," Alexandria protests.

"No shitting," Jolie answers, biting into the pear, "the first guy was some squatter at the junkyard that I took over….not the owner Jim, who I never met and was probably long gone by the time I arrived on the scene, but some perv who tried get his jollies off on me! I was TEN at the time, for Christsakes!"

"So you…" Alexandria begins.

"I didn't let him touch me," Jolie says, spitting out fruity pulp, "ran the _Minh Jian_ through his chest, then sliced his balls off. Had to send a message, y'know?"

Alexandria finds herself subconsciously backing away from Jolie.

"The first one was kind of tough," Jolie admits, "I'd never killed anyone before, after all...and the blood and screams and all were…well, it got easier the second time, and then the third time was easier than the second, and so on. After the first five, it didn't mean a thing anymore."

"But at the...confession. Why didn't you…?" Alexandria asks.

"Everybody's stories were getting a bit heavy," Jolie says, her mouth full of half-chewed pear.

Alexandria gulps.

"Then there was that gang of five thugs who wanted to take the salvage yard from me back in 0095," Jolie continues, "They came with shotguns to hunt me like a rabbit, but I found a Saturday Night Special that had a full load of rounds in it. I hid inside that creepy, haunted green Zaku and blasted their sorry asses like they were ducks!"

"That's…" Alexandria begins, not knowing what to say.

"About six months ago," Jolie continues, now unpeeling a banana, "Freddy got double-crossed by two guys who scammed him out of ten grand worth of mobile suit parts. He paid me five hundred credits to hunt them down."

"And you…" Alexandria begins again, dreading the answer.

"It was going to be a grand if I pulled them in alive," Jolie says, biting into the banana, "but those two motherfuckers just HAD to shoot back. So…"

"So you wasted them," Kenta finishes, "I guess we all have blood on our hands... doesn't surprise me though... I could tell you were a killer the moment I saw you wandering the streets with Jonah."

"People who don't get their hands dirty won't last long at Industria," Jolie comments, "killing all those motherfuckers kept the wolves off my back for years, but wait a minute _Sensei_...you were stalking me and Jonah all that night? That's seriously creepy, man!"

"Captain Ibaz wanted me to track you down," he replies casually, "She was worried you'd sleep in and end up being late."

Jolie grins at a pleasant memory of that evening, "Well...Jonah and I didn't do a whole lot of sleeping that night."

Alexandria groans in embarrassment, "Damn it, Jolie! I didn't need to know that!"

"Need to know or not, you miss the point," Jolie continues, taking a bite out of a Red Delicious apple and chewing, "If you...either of you, think anybody in this world can be an 'angel,' then you're fucking kidding yourself."

So saying, Jolie tosses the apple core over her shoulder and into a wastebasket.

Kenta tosses the Blu Ray to Jolie, "Better get this running, Minh, if everybody is going to get into bed at a decent hour."

"You got it, _Sensei_ ," Jolie replies, loading the disc.

* * *

Later that evening, in her private quarters, a still uniform-clad Athena produces highly detailed reports on the Centurion Team pilots' training performances on the RX-780 for Lt. Col. Mackenzie, Col. Cairlay, and Gen. Noa - sparing no detail.

The clock strikes 02:00 by the time she is finished, and she must report for the next day's duties by 06:00, but insomnia ever being both her enemy and friend since her early adolescent days (only a few short years ago), sleep is not an option...not yet.

An alert on her phone indicates a new blog posting by Mafty...his first in several months. Athena deigns to take off her uniform boots and curls up her long, luscious legs underneath her on the sofa to read.

Mafty's words flow with fervent energy and urgency, "There is a humanitarian crisis in Side 3 that the Earth Federation authorities can no longer ignore, especially as the Federation is the chief agent in creating and perpetuating that crisis. Some five-hundred years ago, in France, generations of oppressive national mismanagement by an indifferent and self-entitled class of elites gave rise to a vengeful revolution that shocked those who had been in power. Blood ran red in the streets of Paris and other cities for years as terror reigned. A day of reckoning is coming for the leaders of the Earth Federation, but are they aware of it? Are they prepared for it? I gravely doubt they are."

In spite of the Earth Federation Government's constitutional protections for free speech and free press, Athena is somewhat surprised that the Federation has not attempted to locate and muzzle the source of the Mafty articles. Constitutional protections or not, Athena realizes, the Federation has not proven beyond silencing those whose voices it does not want heard.

Athena then receives a text from Captain Ryusuke Kenta, updating her on Jolie's special training.

Athena sends a text back, "So there is hope for our wayward phoenix?"

Kenta's reply returns swiftly, "Absolutely."

Immediately following Kenta's reply, Athena receives a "Companion" request on Friendspace from an unexpected party: "Hathaway Noa," in Shanghai, on Earth.

Usually one to consider all the angles before committing to an action, Athena keys "Accept" with uncharacteristic haste.

Immediately, a link to Mafty blog's appears in Hathaway's message: "Athena...or perhaps I should address you as Captain Ibaz. It's been a while. How have things been? Wanted to get in touch with you sooner, but it took me this long to find you (thanks to some mutual friends). Anyway, check out the link I sent. We should catch up...especially if you ever come by Shanghai again."

 _Back to Earth?_ Athena muses, shutting off her phone, _not likely._ Athena figures that she'll likely be sent farther from Earth rather than back to it in the foreseeable future.

The flashing of red lights in her quarters and the sounding of general quarters indicates an alert.

Lt. Col. Mackenzie's voice sounds through Athena's comlink, "Captain Ibaz. Assemble your team. Meet me aboard the _Penthesilea_. The tower has detected a perimeter breach. Six bogies, and they appear headed towards an incoming military cargo freighter."

Swiftly pulling on her boots, Athena answers, "On the way, ma'am."

Grabbing her officer's hat and overcoat, Athena is out the door, where she sees her team assembled in the corridor, awaiting her command.

"We're to intercept six bogies that have breached Side 7 airspace and are bearing down on an inbounds cargo freighter. We are to rendezvous immediately with Lt. Col. Mackenzie aboard the _Penthesilea_."

"Yes, ma'am!" the Centurions salute their commanding officer crisply.

* * *

Within thirty minutes, the Centurions are in the mobile suit pilots' locker aboard the _Penthesilea_ , donning their normal suits and helmets. The young mobile suit pilots suppress all extraneous emotion as they prepare for their first unsimulated combat action. Within three minutes, they're sprinting to their mobile suits.

Captain Athena Ibaz steps onto the boarding lift that carries her to the open cockpit of her mobile suit assignment - a newly delivered RGZ-95C ReZEL Commander Type. A descendant of the famous MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, the ReZEL lacks the unique features of Kamille Bidan's mobile suit, but incorporates a decade's worth of refinements not available to the Zeta.

Athena performs a pre-launch diagnostic of her mobile suit's systems, and then checks in with her squad.

"This is Duchess," Athena intones into her helmet's com receivers, "Centurions report in."

"Wellington standing by, Duchess," reports Chief Warrant Officer Geoff Sutcliffe.

"Koa standing by, Duchess," reports Chief Warrant Officer Karyn Luna.

"Saladin standing by, Duchess," reports Chief Warrant Officer Hakeem Al-Said.

"Shogun standing by, Duchess," reports Chief Warrant Officer Tomo Higashi.

"Howitzer standing by, Duchess," reports Chief Warrant Officer Anna Horowitz.

"Captain Athena Ibaz deploying in the ReZEL Commander Type," Athena reports to the bridge.

"Roger, Duchess, you are cleared for launch," comes the reply from the bridge.

The port catapult of the _Penthesilea_ rockets Athena's ReZEL across the deck at a speed exceeding 300 knots; to her right, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie's RX-78NT1 Gundam Alex also catapults forth.

 _I thought Christina would be directing us from the bridge_ , Athena thinks to herself, _the fact that she got into that old warhorse is a sure sign that we're up against something big… either that, or this shipment is particularly valuable._

Behind them, in pairs, the rest of the Centurions deploy: Wellington and Koa; Saladin and Shogun; finally, Howitzer bringing up the rear in aboard a RGM-89DEW EWAC Jegan.

"This is Duchess," Athena says through the comms, "Listen up: I need you all to exercise extreme caution as you deploy your weapons. It's vital to minimize risk to the cargo freighter, is that understood?"

"Amazon to Howitzer," Christina says, "What are you picking up on your sensors?"

Anna, already running an ID scan, reports back, "Five...correction, six bogies. RMS-099 types. Rick Dias."

"AEUG?!" Chief Warrant Officer Sutcliffe spits out incredulously, "What the fuck?!"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Wellington," Athena answers.

"The AEUG was absorbed back into the Federation after the end of the First Neo Zeon War," Christina adds, "and reorganized into the Londo Bell Special Forces… for all intents and purposes, we're the AEUG."

"If these were legit AEUG units," Athena further reasons, "they would have no reason for attacking our assets. This whole situation smells suspicious."

"How much longer before we're in contact range?" Christina demands.

"Three minutes, twenty-three seconds and counting, ma'am," Anna answers.

"And when does this group of mystery machines make contact with the cargo freighter?" Athena asks.

Anna gulps, "Three minutes, two seconds, ma'am."

"Duchess to Amazon," Athena interjects, "request permission to convert to Waverider configuration and go on ahead."

"You don't need my permission to do something intelligent," Christina says with a laugh, "but let's see if you can keep up with the Alex."

The ReZEL Command Type converts into its Waverider configuration and hits afterburners; alongside it, the Gundam Alex fires its powerful booster rockets.

 _Not bad for nearly twenty-year-old technology_ , Athena muses as the Gundam Alex keeps pace with her more modern war machine, _might be a few more years before it's ready for a war museum than I expected._

Scarcely two minutes later, Athena and Christina are able to visually confirm the data that Howitzer's scanners had picked up: six Rick Dias, painted black.

Athena's ReZEL converts from Waverider configuration back into mobile suit configuration, taking aim at a Rick Dias that is approaching the cargo freighter.

One quick squeeze of a trigger finger, and the Rick Dias goes limp as the beam of the ReZEL's rifle pierces the Rick Dias's head unit from behind. Against most mobile suits, such a shot would leave the pilot without visuals, but the Rick Dias is a rare mobile suit in the sense that the cockpit is situated in the unit's head rather than its chest cavity. Without its pilot and command computer, the Rick Dias drifts dead in space, but does not explode.

"Good shot, Duchess," Amazon compliments.

"You've got two bogies coming in at two and four o'clock, Amazon," Athena informs her superior officer.

"I see them, Captain," Christina answers from the cockpit of the Gundam Alex, transferring her mobile suit's beam rifle from its customary right firing hand into the left hand, using the now free right hand of the Alex to draw right-side beam saber, lancing out at the Rick Dias approaching from the four o'clock position.

The approaching Rick Dias dives too quickly to twist or rocket away from the advancing beam saber blade. The contained shaft of superheated Minovsky particles penetrates the Rick Dias's Gundarium torso through the front, melting its way through layers of internal systems and components before burning through the back.

The second Rick Dias, approaching from her two o'clock position, falls to Gundam Alex's beam rifle...a double tap burst that causes the Rick Dias to balloon into mass of exploding metal and gas.

"Heads up!" Athena calls out as she skeets down two additional Rick Dias approaching them. A sixth and final Rick Dias approaches with its beam saber drawn, aiming to bring its blade down viciously on the head of the ReZEL, only to find itself horizontally bisected by the Gundam Alex's beam saber.

The rest of the Centurion Team arrives on the scene just as Christina withdraws the beam saber, switches off the blade, and places the emitter back in its housing atop the Gundam Alex's backpack thruster unit.

"Bloody hell," Chief Warrant Officer Sutcliffe - "Wellington" - complains, "We thought you glory hounds would have the courtesy to leave some for us!"

As if on cue, more blips appear on Chief Warrant Officer Horowitz's scanners, "You ask, they deliver, limey-boy! We have incoming! I've got two...four...nine...um…sixteen…"

"More to your liking, Geoff?" Koa teases archly.

"Shut up and focus," Athena says sternly, "We're in a life and death situation, ladies and gentlemen."

"Fan out," Athena orders the team, "They're coming _en masse_ , so let's not make things easy for them."

The Centurion Team and the squadron of 34 Rick Dias mobile suits find themselves in a dangerous standoff.

* * *

About five klicks away, a lone mobile suit is observing the battle. The pilot has the good sense to use the sun to conceal his position, so he has nothing to truly worry about.

A lone, brown eye watches the confrontation from the cockpit, taking in every detail. He can tell that despite the severe numerical disadvantage, the Federation Forces pilots have forced the fight into stalemate.

The Gundam and the ReZEL would occasionally get a hit in, but it seems the Jet Jegans, Stark Jegans, and the EWAC Jegan are really only able to keep the enemy from hitting their more capable comrades.

He looks at a picture of five people: a woman with red hair, a portly individual wearing a red skull cap bandana, and a lean young man with a red bandana. Behind the three twentysomethings stands and older man with a full beard that has an air of authority about him wearing a captain's hat. And in front of them all is a young boy with bleached Blond hair, some facial scars, and a blinded right eye.

He reaches out and touches the photo briefly before saying, "Jessie.. Wedge.. Biggs.. Captain Wilhelm."

His eyes close briefly before snapping back open and he powers his mobile suit up, "I will avenge you."

* * *

The Re-ZEL trap shoots an incoming Rick Dias, bringing the number of their assailants down to 29.

"Duchess to Amazon," Athena contacts Christina, "This is not getting us anywhere. We should locate and go after their mothership."

"Not a bad idea, Duchess," Christina answers, "Getting to it might prove a problem, though."

Across local space, within a radius of approximately ten kilometers, the Centurion Team is holding its own...but just barely. The balance of the battle hangs precariously as the Earth Federation and faux Sleeves mobile suits exchange fire.

A lone Rick Dias gets the drop on Wellington's Jet Jegan, its beam saber poised to slash at him.

"BLOODY FUCKING SHIT!" Geoff sputters, spinning his Jet Jegan around, but not quickly enough to avoid the Rick Dias lopping off his Jet Jegan's left arm with its beam saber.

Sparks fly from the left elbow of the Jet Jegan...now an exposed stump of melted wires and immolated gears.

Before Sutcliffe can recover, the Rick Dias rams its knee into the cockpit of his Jet Jegan, rattling the Englishman.

"Lt. Col...Capt….anybody...I could use a hand here…." Sutcliffe pleads.

"Athena?" Christina calls out.

"Negative," Athena answers, "I haven't got the angle for a clear shot!"

 _Damn it_ , Christina thinks, _by the time I get there, Sutcliffe is going to be English mutton pie!_

Before the enemy Rick Dias can move in for the kill, an explosive projectile hits it from behind, causing severe damage, giving Sutcliffe the chance to grab hold of the head and crush it.

"Duchess? Amazon? Koa?" Sutcliffe blinks, scarcely believing that he's still alive, "Which of you do I need to wine and dine next week out of gratitude for my life?"

"Howitzer," Athena demands, "Where did that shot come from?!"

"Not one of our units," Howitzer answers, "from….THAT!"

THAT is another Gundam, unfamiliar to Centurions and faux Sleeves alike.

"ID scan," Athena orders.

Howitzer provides an answer five seconds later, "MSF-007 Gundam MK-III!"

"There's a Gundam MK-III?" Athena inquires.

"I've heard rumors," Christina amends, "but…"

Col. Peter Cairlay's voice comes over the comms network from the bridge of the _Penesthelia_ , "A number of Gundam MK-IIIs were developed by the AEUG towards the end of the Gryps Conflict, but we've long believed all the completed units were either destroyed or captured by the Titan's. Where could this one have come from?"

"More importantly," Athena interjects, as she blows away another Rick Dias, "Is it friendly? It saved Geoff, but it could just as easily turn on us next."

Lt. Col. Mackenzie attempts to hail the Gundam MK-III, "This is Lt. Col. Mackenzie of the Earth Federation Forces! You in the Gundam MK-III...identify yourself!"

The pilot's response is strange, aside from the fact that he is clearly a boy in his teens. "We herd sheep; we drive cattle; we lead men."

The Gundam MK-III launches forward and kicks an enemy mobile suit in the torso, "Lead me."

The pilot levels his weapon, a Geara Doga beam machine gun with grenade launcher at his target, "Follow me."

He then proceeds to unload a salvo of beam fire on the enemy until the mobile suit explodes, "Or get out of my way."

So saying, the Gundam MK-III blasts another two Rick Dias out of the cosmos.

Seeing the Rick Dias squad in a state of disorder and confusion, Athena makes a quick decision.

"Duchess to all units: BLITZ ATTACK!"

Responding to their training, the Centurion Team masses their weaponry in a collective attack on the remaining Rick Dias units. What was, just moments ago, a balanced fight that slightly favored the 'Sleeves' has turned into a rout for the Centurion Team thanks to their mysterious Gundam MK-III ally.

The remaining Rick Dias units retreat.

"Ma'am," Chief Warrant Officer Tomo Higashi asks, "Do we pursue?"

"No," Athena answers emphatically, "Secure the cargo freighter. The faster we get it back to the port, the better."

"Request permission to land aboard your ship _,_ " the pilot says, "I'm short on fuel and won't make it anywhere with what little I have left."

Christina answers, "I'm the commanding officer of the _Penesthelia_. Permission granted."

Aboard the Re-ZEL Commander Type, Athena has her reservations, but chooses not to voice them.

* * *

The Centurion Team and their mysterious guest dock with the _Penesthelia_. Aside from Chief Warrant Officer Sutcliffe's Jet Jegan, which will need a replacement left arm, the mobile suits of the Centurion Team came through the battle with minimal damage, much to the relief of their redheaded chief engineer 1Lt. Molly Duran and her technician crew.

"I want a crew on Wellington's Jet Jegan right now," Molly orders, "bring up a lower arm unit from Inventory. Left side! On the double!"

"Fuckin' hell, Sutcliffe," Molly curses under her breath, "First dance, and you already lose an arm…"

Sutcliffe, removing his normal suit gloves, his helmet visor open and a shit-eating grin on his face, answers, "Heh heh. Well, what can I say, babe? Even the best fuck up once in a while!"

Molly replies archly, "You're way more than 'once in a while,' Sutcliffe."

"Just tape me up, Molls," Sutcliffe says, exiting the cockpit, patting Molly on the rear as he passes by.

Molly responds with a full on KICK to Sutcliffe's rear that almost sends him flat to the deck.

"Hands to yourself, Hotshot," Molly says, "Or you'll be in for nasty surprises next time you get into this armored coffin here."

Sutcliffe raises his hands nonchalantly as he begins making his way across the deck to where the mysterious Gundam MK-III is presently docked..

Molly and her team get to work on Sutcliffe's Jet Jegan as Captain Athena Ibaz removes her helmet and exits her Re-ZEL, noting that a lift platform is raising Lt. Col. Mackenzie towards the cockpit hatch of the Gundam MK-III. The rest of the team is milling around the feet of the Gundam MK-III, gawking at the mobile suit.

Lt. Col. Mackenzie raps on the cockpit hatch of the Gundam MK-III as if knocking on her next door neighbor's front door, "Friend in the Gundam MK-III, open up. We should have a talk."

The hatch slides open. A figure wearing a decade-old Titans normal suit emerges from the cockpit, helped with a tug from Christina's outstretched hand. The individual wearing the normal suit is at least one size too small for it, as the suit hangs awkwardly off of him in an almost comical manner.

"The kid is wearing a relic," Chief Warrant Officer Horowitz observes, "It's been a decade since anyone's worn those colors."

"People will take what they can from old military surplus," Athena replies.

"You don't think he's an actual Titan, do you, ma'am?" Higashi asks.

"Not likely," Athena answers with a slight grin, "This kid would have been just getting out of diapers when the Titans folded."

Athena turns her head at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps...Col. Cairlay flanked by a team of six heavily armed MPs.

 _Trouble…._ Athena anticipates.

Cairlay and the six MPs approach Christina and the unidentified young man, who has removed his normal suit helmet.

"This man is now under our custody," Cairlay announces coldly, "He will be processed and thoroughly interrogated."

Upon hearing this, Christina notices that their guest goes completely silent, not just verbally, but emotionally as well.

 _This kid is no stranger to being held captive_ , she mentally notes, _but I can at least keep him out of Admiral Blackhead's hands.  
_  
"All right then," the red head replies, "but he's being held at the Londo Bell facility."

"Agreed," Cairlay exhales grudgingly, "this is Londo Bell business, after all."

The MPs lead away the young man, who offers no resistance, but glances back over his shoulder at Christina.

"What do you make of that young man, Athena?" Christina asks her adjutant.

Athena answers thoughtfully, "Reminds me of someone I know."

Christina turns to Athena, "Who?"

"Jack Spencer," Athena says.

Christina nods, "Read my mind."

Within an hour, the _Penesthelia_ escorts the cargo freighter, which received no notable damage during the skirmish, into the Revil Base military spaceport at Side 7's Green Oasis Colony. Three Centurion Team mobile suits - Howitzer's EWAC Jegan, Koa's Jet Jegan, and Saladin's Stark Jegan deterring any further acts of hostility.

The battle carrier and the military freighter are moored at adjacent docks at the Revil Base spaceport, a separate facility from the commercial public spaceport at the other end of the space colony. The pilots of the Centurion Team are disembarking from the carrier as the cargo freighter opens its massive cargo hatch.

Athena walks into the hold and sees what the ship was transporting. "Somehow, this doesn't surprise me."


	7. Chapter 6: The Crucible

CHAPTER 6: THE CRUCIBLE

03:00, Friday, August 10, UC 0098

Her eyes open wide, alert and lucid.

Cadet Jolie Minh bolts upright in her bed space at Captain Kenta's forge facility. Donning her boots and uniform jacket, she stealthily makes her way out of the room as the Captain remains asleep on his mat on the floor.

Grabbing a nutrition bar that she inserts into her mouth, Jolie rushes to the forge, which she cranks to life.

After several minutes, the forge begins to glow red hot.

Kenta, awakened by the din, sticks his head out of the door of the bedroom, noting that Cadet Minh is already at it.

 _What's gotten into her? She actually beat me out of bed this morning._

Jolie turns her head, noting the Captain's presence, saluting, "'Morning, sir."

"I see you're up earlier than me for once," he says as he walks over to the stove, "But we're having breakfast first."

"Yes, sir," Jolie complies, "I'll work the toaster."

"No, you'll sit down," he orders, "I like my toast not burned."

Realizing that she does have an issue with accidentally setting things on fire, Jolie doesn't protest, setting out the juice instead.

"Should I wake Alex, _Sensei_?" Jolie asks.

Kenta is about to answer in the affirmative, but before he can, a yawn comes from Alexandria, or at least her person, as she emerges from the bathroom in a tank top and shorts. Making her way over to the fridge, she comments, "Damn, I thought I was the only one up around this hour. What are you all doing up on my clock?"

"I wake up no later than 4:00," Kenta replies as he opens a carton of eggs, "so how do you girls want your eggs?"

"Fertilized, please," she says with a Cheshire grin, "and don't skip out on the heavy cream!"

Jolie gives Alex a severe glare as Kenta nods, "I'll assume you mean a stuffed omelet."

"Only if you fill it to the brim with the good stuff!" Grace winks as she grabs the apple juice out of the fridge and pours herself a glass, "and please add a little hot sauce with those eggs. I'm a sucker for things with a kick!"

Grace sips the juice with a satisfied hum.

"Aren't you allergic to that?" Kenta asks, regarding her almost like a scientist would regard an odd lab specimen.

Grace raises a brow, "No? Am I supposed to be?"

"Are there any fruits that you're allergic to?" Kenta presses, his detective's instincts kicking in.

"I recall a lot of allergic reactions to oranges if that helps," she offers, taking another sip, "they used to put it in my food a lot. Didn't care either. Luckily, they didn't have oranges often."

"Interesting," the one-time PI comments, under his breath.

"Yeah. No offense to you, Dove, but I wasn't going to take any chances on those oranges," Grace explains, "Been through too much stupidity to go through that hell again!"

Jolie is about to say something to Grace, but turns to Kenta instead, a confused look on her face, "Um...which one of them am I talking to anyway, _Sensei_? I can't keep her personalities straight."

"That one is Grace," he replies, "You'll figure it out eventually… but to make it easy, pay attention to what she says: if there's some flirty innuendo concerning Christina, and or myself, then it is Grace."

Jolie nods doubtfully and watches Grace (not Alexandria) like a hawk as she chews her eggs.

* * *

Before noon, Kenta and Jolie at last have a properly shaped blade...no longer a rough strip of metal.

"Hey…!" Jolie yelps with alarm as Kenta takes the blade into his bare hands. Though the blade no longer glows, Jolie can still feel the intense heat emanating off the metal.

Where Jolie expects a cry of pain, however, Kenta maintains his stoic composure, carefully examining through one eye the still-hot blade in his grip.

"Doesn't...that...?" Jolie begins.

"No," Kenta tells her, anticipating the question, "Though you'd better not try it. Takes a certain amount of experience…"

 _And thick, rough skin_ , Jolie concludes, staring down at Kenta's hands, which are as coarse as sandpaper.

Tentatively, Jolie touches the middle of the blade with her right index fingertip. She quickly pulls back her finger and inserts it into her mouth with a "Yowtch!"

"Told you," Kenta grins devilishly, "plus you touched the hottest part," he adds before offering her the hilt, "Try this end."

Gingerly, Jolie accepts the hilt, and is surprised when it doesn't burn.

"Every time you don't listen to me, Minh, you get burned," Kenta drawls.

" _Gomen'nasai, Sensei_ ," Jolie answers meekly, wide-eyed.

"Apology accepted," he tells her, "Now we begin the process of sharpening it. After that, we can apply the finishing touches of giving it a hilt, pommel, and sheath."

"Where did you learn to make Chinese _jian_ , _Sensei_?" Jolie asks, "They're a bit different from your Japanese _katana_."

"This is actually my first one," he confesses.

"WHAAA!?" Jolie squeals, eyes going wide again.

"I used the techniques used to forge a katana, and changed the shape to match that of a _jian_ ," he explains, "This should put it on par with your family's _jian_ in terms of durability."

"Daddy told me that hundreds of years ago, the Ming Jian was used by our ancestor General Ming to kill Borokhula, one of Genghis Khan's fiercest generals, called 'Borokhula the Destroyer,'" Jolie tells Kenta, "but I don't know if any of that's true."

Rather than respond, Ryusuke goes and gets his whetstone out of the trough he uses to submerge it in preparation for sharpening swords. He places it on a special slip-resistant setting before grabbing a bucket and handing it to Jolie.

"Fill this with water and bring it here with a ladle so you can apply more to the whetstone when I tell you to."

Jolie complies as to the ladle of water, no longer seized by the compulsion to fling the water across the room that would have seized the Jolie of three days earlier.

* * *

By 18:00, the work is done. The new _jian_ would be complete by tomorrow.

Rightfully not trusting Jolie in the kitchen, Kenta turns his attention to preparing the evening meal while Jolie, finally gaining some free time, goes through an unarmed martial arts routine...an acrobatic set with multiple leaps and flips.

 _Where does she get that energy?_ Kenta wonders, shaking her head, _I wasn't even that energetic when I was her age._

Kenta observes Jolie at practice...his trained eye appreciating the girl's obvious martial arts talent. Her punches, palm slashes, and kicks have obvious bite to them...greatly enhanced as a result of Kenta's training.

By way of testing her, Kenta suddenly hurls a dull butter knife in Jolie's direction.

Her forehead sparks, detecting the projectile. Jolie catches the incoming missile in one hand as she flips backwards and lands gracefully on her feet.

"Hey!" Jolie demands, "What the hell, _Sensei_?!"

"Testing," Kenta says, cleaning out a bowl, "You've made some progress."

Jolie twirls the blade a few times before hurling it back at Kenta, who catches it effortlessly and uses it for its intended purpose.

"So after we finish the new _jian_ , what happens, _Sensei?_ " Jolie asks, "Do you let me keep both of them?"

"I'm going to try to kill you," Kenta says, casually stirring a pot of soup, "if you somehow don't die, then both swords are yours."

Jolie's eyes widen, "You're shitting me."

He turns and looks at her with that demonic grin, "Does it look like I'm shitting you?"

Jolie gulps, and figures she should probably make contact with Jonah, mind-to-mind, later tonight.

Suddenly, Kenta starts laughing... and not in a demonic fashion, but in genuine amusement

"Oh, deadly foreplay! Can I watch?!" Grace asks, excitedly before she blushes in horror, "Damn it, Grace, you pervert!"

"I think I've lost my appetite," says Jolie, looking a bit pale.

"Grace isn't far from the truth," Christina says, walked into the room, "Kenta is just fucking with you."

"How would YOU know?!" Jolie demands.

"I'm an Empathic Newtype," she replies with a smile.

"And Empathic Newtypes are impossible to lie to," Kenta adds.

Somehow, Jolie does not feel reassured.

* * *

After dinner, Jolie borrows Christina's phone to place a call to Captain Athena Ibaz.

Athena answers after a single ring, "Captain Athena Ibaz, ma'am."

"Hey, 'Thena," Jolie says into the receiver, "It's me! I borrowed Christina's phone!"

"Jolie," Athena's voice comes through the phone, "What's up?"

Jolie exhales, "I think I'm gonna die tomorrow."

"Come again?" Athena says, not sure she heard right.

"Kenta is gonna duel me tomorrow," Jolie tells her, "I think I'm gonna die."

"You're being silly," Athena reassures her, "Kenta isn't going to…"

"If I don't make it…" Jolie begins.

"What are you trying to say?" Athena demands.

"Never mind," Jolie resolves, "Not gonna die tomorrow."

Jolie closes the connection.

Back at her office, Athena stares at her phone, briefly considering calling back, but puts the phone aside.

 _She'll figure it out_ , Athena decides.

* * *

Later that night, after Kenta and Alexandria/Grace have gone to sleep, Jolie locks herself into the bathroom, but not to use the facility for its usual, intended purposes.

Clad in only her underwear, Jolie seats herself cross-legged on the toilet, meditation style. She closes her eyes and enters a trance, a blue spark appearing from her forehead.

A few kilometers away, at the recruits' barracks, Cadet Jonah Michaels opens his eyes abruptly, seeing an apparition that only he can see…

 _Jolie?_

 _Yo, Boyo!_

 _Hey, are you…?_

 _I'm fine...for tonight at least._

 _Tonight? What...what do you mean?_

 _Nothing. Hey...I'm coming back soon._

 _I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry that I…_

 _Forget it. I'm sorry I went gonzo on you, as usual. Anyway, like I said, I'm coming back soon._

 _I can't wait._

 _Later._

In his bunk, Jonah closes his eyes with a grin, sleeping his best sleep in nearly a week.

In the bathroom of Kenta's forge, Jolie opens her eyes, exhales, and mutters to herself, "At least I hope I'm coming back soon."

* * *

At that same hour, at Revil Base's stockade facility, Col. Peter Cairlay, Deputy Director of the Londo Bell Special Forces, is interrogating the mysterious young man whose intervention had bailed the Centurion Team out of a dangerous situation the previous day.

"You're going to need to start talking to us if you ever hope to get out of here," Cairlay says, lighting a thin brown cigarillo between his lips, "Stubbornness can send you to dark places...for a very, very long time, son."

The young man says nothing, offering the colonel only a contemptuous sidelong glare.

Cairlay inhales from his cigarillo, biting out, "Have it your way, son. We've got many ways to make tight-lipped punks like you squeal...many ways."

Elsewhere, at the mobile suit docking facilities of Revil Base, Dr. Kamille Bidan and 1Lt. Molly Duran observe as multiple Gundam units are unloaded from the cargo freighter that transported them to Side 7 and was rescued by Centurion Team the day before.

Among their number - a second RX-780 Centurion Gundam unit, identical to the unit already assigned to the Centurion Team. A third RX-780 unit, painted darker than the other two and outfitted with special stealth equipment. An RX-78 unit of One Year War vintage, superficially similar to the famous war machine piloted by 2Lt. Amuro Ray that turned the tide of that war, but painted a dull grey instead of Amuro's white with bright primary colors. Finally, an FA-78 Full Armored Gundam, also of One Year War vintage.

In addition to these units, also docked at the facility is the MSF-007 Gundam MK-III piloted by the mysterious young man now being interrogated by Col. Cairlay.

"While I'll be damned," Molly grins, looking up admiringly at the Gundam MK-III, "I'd wondered if these were real or just a military legend."

Dr. Bidan nods, "They're real, all right...exceedingly rare, but definitely real. I've only seen one other unit myself."

"Who's getting the other Centurion Gundams?" Molly asks, gazing at the new additions.

"Centurion Team pilots, obviously," Kamille answers facetiously, but then turns serious, "They're training some new recruits...Newtypes."

"So those rumors we've been hearing for a while are true?" Molly says with mild astonishment, "That the Londo Bell Forces are building their own Newtype corps."

"Something the Federation has been keen on since the Eighties," Kamille remarks dryly, "and now, they seem to finally have their ducks lined up to make it happen. Duran, get a crew to prep those two old RX-78s for use within 24 hours."

"Those old antiques?" Molly narrows her eyes at the two vintage war machines, "I thought they'd be lower priority than the two new RX-780s."

"They'll need the 78s first," Kamille explains, "for training purposes."

"Right, Doc," Molly says, picking up her toolkit, ready to get to work.

"Molly," Kamille says, "You and your crew have eight hours...then we're loading all these MS onto the _Penesthelia_.

"Short order," Molly remarks, though not complainingly.

"This is just a pit stop," Kamille explains, "They'll likely get some additional work after arriving at Luna 2."

* * *

At last, it is ready…

Ryusuke Kenta holds the newly forged _jian_ in his hands. The blade is now fitted with a Tang-style pommel and crossguard, and etched on the crossguard are the kanji characters

" _武尉_ ," - "Wu Wei" - martial lieutenant, name of a highly honored Tang Dynasty warrior, and also a pun with the concept of the Taoist martial concept of action through non-action.

In his other hand, Kenta lifts the ancient _Minh Jian_ , carrying a sword in each hand. He then picks up a third sword...the ancient katana that has seen him through so much and has tasted the blood of countless opponents.

Within minutes, Kenta arrives at the exercise yard, where Cadet Jolie Minh is already waiting...along with the other recruits, brought to the yard to witness the occasion by Captain Skoo Koo.

Kenta tosses the newly completed sword - the _Wu Wei Jian_ \- to Jolie, who catches the sheathed blade deftly, leaving two additional swords in Kenta's grasp - the _Minh Jian_ in his right hand, his own familiar katana in his left.

"The objective is simple," Kenta says, "take the _Minh Jian_ out of my grasp and it's yours again. Ready, Minh?"

"No," Jolie replies.

Kenta smiles, beckoning for Jolie to begin.

For a long minute, the two opponents do not move...make no sound. They watch each other intently, still as statues.

All is silent except for the distant sound of machinery...and the currents of reprocessed air circulating around the colony.

Three agonizing minutes pass. The other cadets find themselves perspiring, in spite of the chill of the air around them.

Cadet Jonah Michaels' gaze turns troubledly between Jolie and Kenta.

A leaf falls from a tree planted nearby on the base grounds…

The _Wu Wei Jian_ explodes like a bolt of lightning from its sheath for the first time, bearing down on Kenta's throat with the inexorable force of a tsunami!

Sensing the blade's approach, Kenta leaps back and aside, spinning away from the blade's tip with not a second to spare!

Not even yet finished with his first evasive move, Kenta finds himself already forced to make another as the edge of Jolie's blade sweeps after him, threatening to decapitate him.

 _It's on_ , Kenta barely has time to think as he avoids being sliced by the _Wu Wei Jian_ 's edge by the barest of millimeters.

 _She's definitely improved_ , Kenta notes, even as he focuses on evasion, _I felt the edge of that on my skin. Can't afford to take her lightly; if I get careless for even a half second, she'll take my head off._

Taking advantage of her litheness and youthful speed, Jolie relentlessly drives at Kenta through a series of acrobatic moves too fast for the eyes to follow. The cadets are agape as they watch the two combatants move at speeds seemingly impossible for human beings.

Kenta blocks a few of Jolie's strikes using the scabbards of the sheathed _Minh Jian_ and his own Kanzenmaru...feats hardly as easy as they might appear to casual observers. Kenta's combat instincts inform him that he will not be able to maintain merely evasive and defensive postures for much longer…

Jolie's strikes create sparks against the scabbards of the _Minh Jian_ and the _Kazenmaru_ , and Kenta winces almost imperceptibly from both the force of the strikes, which rattle him deep to the bone, and the thought of the hell this is inflicting on the decorative scabbard of his treasured _Kazenmaru_.

 _Now's the time_ , Kenta concludes, _got to counterattack now, or I'm not getting another chance._

Kenta senses Jolie's approach, sees that she is predictably in midflight, sword bearing down on him.

 _Have to time this just right, or she'll skewer me_ , Kenta scarcely has time to think.

Lashing out with his right boot, Kenta lands a kick to Jolie's left shoulder, driving her back.

Jolie lands on her back, momentarily stunned as she hears the man say, "That acrobatic bullshit isn't going to work on me, Cadet Minh... try something else."

Even as she half hears Kenta's remarks, Jolie becomes fixated on...the man's legs. Not that she has any sort of fetish for men's legs (especially not Kenta's!), but they appear such an inviting target...like trees waiting to be chopped down….

From her position on the ground, Jolie whirls the blade of the _Wu Wei Jian_ in a horizontal circular motion, forcing Kenta to back away as she rises to her feet.

The blade of the _Wu Wei Jian_ slice at Kenta's legs like a pair of hyperaccelerated scissors.

Kenta, for his part, is too skilled and experienced a martial artist for this new attack to pose any true threat to him. Not much chance of him losing a leg today, but at the same time, Jolie's aggressive lower-end strikes prevent him from gaining any footing, making it impossible for him to draw either the _Kazenmaru_ or the _Minh Jian_ out of their sheathes.

Jolie continues chopping low horizontally, like a farmer on amphetamines while cutting chaff.

 _Looks like she's fixated on chopping off my legs_ , Kenta notes, _that's her autism running the show._

Jolie drops and rolls towards Kenta even as he takes a leap backwards. He has scarcely landed when her sword is on his legs again, forcing him into an evasive dance...slowly bleeding away his energy.

Kenta is considering his options when the chopping at his legs abruptly stops and the blade of the _Wu Wei Jian_ accelerates towards his throat like a missile!

Reflexively drawing out the _Kazenmaru_ to parry the incoming strike, he releases his grip on the _Minh Jian_.

Jolie catches the pommel of the _Minh Jian_ as it falls, drawing out the blade. Now, dual _jians_ in hand, she continues rotoring at Kenta.

Using a series of spins and twirls, Jolie attacks relentlessly...doing something that Kenta has never seen...never would have thought even possible...and it seems as if she isn't doing it consciously…

 _She's attacking me using Emei Sword Technique with the sword in her right hand_ , Kenta notes as he relentlessly blocks the incoming strikes, _but her left hand is using Wudang Sword Technique at the same time. These are two completely different and incompatible styles of swordplay...and yet...she's using both at the same time...as if there were two of her! Incredible…_

Just as abruptly, Jolie's right hand switches from Emei Sword Technique to a move that Kenta recognizes as Kunlun Sword Technique (a move he barely manages block), and her left flows from Wudang technique to Diancang Sword Technique.

Through his peripheral vision, Kenta also notes that Jolie has foregone her usual aerial attack for a variety of different charging stances - a key element of the martial arts systems that are a part of her Chinese heritage, but that until now, she has underutilized.

Jolie's dual swords approach Kenta like a horizontal whirling vortex of death. Kenta, drawing upon his experience, unleashes a powerful slash that more than stops her momentum… it pushes her back by at least two yards. Adopting the same stance he used against Jonah, he says, "Now the real fight begins… let's see how far you can push me, Cadet Minh."

Jolie recruits her energy through the use of _neigong_ , and her dual swords begin whirling along new vectors. Kenta is mindful of the girl's footwork, observing the pattern of her advance.

By this point of the duel, their blades impact each other with such force as to produce sparks upon contact. On the perimeter, the audience feels their blades cutting the air with a sharpness that they can palpably feel.

Jonah leads a cheer for his girlfriend, "You can do it, Jolie!"

The other recruits join in, chanting her name, "JOLIE! JOLIE! JOLIE!"

The duel has truly become a duel. Though Kenta, the veteran warrior, clearly holds the upper hand, it is evident that Jolie has become a force for even him to reckon with.

For her part, Jolie starts to feel her energy beginning to flag, as she realize, _Kenta's_ neigong _reserves are deeper than mine. He's gonna outlast me._

Kenta brings the _Kazenmaru_ down in a powerful sweeping motion that force Jolie to one knee...the impact like the crash of a meteor. Jolie's arms feel like they're on fire...about to burn away… _so this is the strength of a seasoned warrior…_ Then she sees that demon again… its rage producing a fire that threatens to consume all around it.

Jolie's mind drifts to the past...something Master Zhang had said to her years ago...that she barely remembers the old Daoist master shared with her and that she did not grasp at at time.

 _Absorb the hard through application of the soft...use four grams to disperse a thousand tons…_

Jolie softens her stance...catching Kenta off guard momentarily.

 _Hmmm?_ Kenta wonders for an instant before he recognizes what he's dealing with, _ah...Tai Chi Sword Technique._

Kenta rains hard blows upon Jolie's dual blades, but instead of attempting to match him for impact and power...a match she cannot win...Jolie uses the soft principles of Tai Chi to disperse the force of Kenta's blows...diverting their kinetic force away from herself.

After a final flurry of exchanged strikes...dozens within the blink of an eye...the two combatants leap at each other...their blades clashing with a final, resounding, "KLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!"

Kenta and Jolie land five meters apart from each other, back to back.

A spot of blood begins to pool beneath the left shoulder of Jolie's uniform jacket...prompting extreme concern from Jonah.

A slight rip of fabric on the shoulder of Kenta's jacket.

"Damn it, Minh," Kenta remarks dryly, "This is my favorite jacket…"

Jolie salutes Kenta with both her swords, "Thank you, _Sensei_...for everything."

Following custom, she kneels before him and bows respectfully three times.

Kenta gently taps Jolie on the top of her head with _Kazenmaru_ before sheathing it.

"All right," Kenta tells the assembled recruits, "It's Sunday, so you rejects have the rest of the day to yourselves. Report in at 17:30 and the Lord help you if you don't show up, Cadet Black, because Pastor Sam has requested you be there."

Suddenly, from almost literally out of nowhere, a young girl with long red hair kept in two pigtails jumps on Kenta's back. "Hey, Dad," she says with a giggle, "Mind giving me a piggyback ride?"

The recruits stare at each other, dumbfounded.

"Dad?" Jolie says, perplexed.

"I...I had no idea," Jonah blinks.

"She does look like Lt. Col. Mackenzie, doesn't she?" Aggie adds.

"She's adopted," Kenta tells them.

"HEY! I AM STILL BIOLOGICALLY YOUR DAUGHTER YOU JACKASS!" the red-haired teenager snaps.

Jolie whispers to Jonah, "I think there's a lot about _Sensei_ that we don't know."

Jonah whispers back, "It's the man's private business, Jolie," looking at her oddly for a moment.

Jolie then notices Alexandria staring at the girl like she was the greatest thing since sliced bread. She figures it was Grace instead when she asks, "Can I hug her? She's so… Perfect!"

"Don't. Call. Me. THAT. EVER!" Erica snaps at Grace, causing her to look very confused and lost. Jolie didn't even think anyone can make her back off as Grace is usually more… persistent with her actions.

Maria, who had stepped out to use the head, returns to the room and lays eyes on the red-haired teenager, "Lt...Col….Mackenzie?!"

"Not quite," the real Christina Mackenzie says as she walks up, "and we thought you didn't want people to know about that particular detail, Erisia."

"I've been trying to come to terms with it lately," Erisia replies in a more subdued manner, "Mainly because I don't like hearing people talk bad about you and dad having a kid out of wedlock."

"That's sweet of you Eri," Kenta tells her, "Now please get off my back, and go with your mother… I'll come home tonight to hear all about your travels."

"Hah!" Jolie grins, clearly amused.

"'Hah,' what, Minh?" Kenta responds.

"Never figured you for just another middle-aged dad with a teenage daughter," Jolie says, "but it's cool to know!"

"Whatever, Minh."

Still chattering about the unexpected appearance of a Kenta/Kenzie offspring, the recruits disperse, except for Jolie and Jonah, who grin broadly and run into each other's arms.

Jonah plants a kiss on Jolie's forehead, fingering her hair, when it finally dawns on him, "Your hair! What the…?!"

Jolie suppresses a giggle, "Like the new style?"

"You look cute...but how…" Jonah wants to know, "...why?"

"Long story," Jolie tells him, "I spent the whole week cranking this forge and…"

"Her hair caught on fire," Kenta finishes for her, getting to the point, "I had to trim it."

"Tell me later," Jonah says, "Your arm is bleeding. We need to get you to the infirmary to get that wound dressed."

* * *

Meanwhile, Captain Athena Ibaz is at the mobile suit hangar, performing a spot inspection of the newly arrived mobile suits before they are loaded onto the _Penesthelia_. Accompanying Athena is the Centurion Team's crackerjack chief MS engineer, 1Lt. Molly Duran.

"Each unit is fully prepped, Captain," Molly tells Athena, "triple checked them all personally. They're all ready for action."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Athena says, gazing up at the Centurion Gundams Unit 2 and Unit 3, "Kenta must have found another prospect."

"The boys and girls at Luna 2 are going to do some modifications to the Unit 3," Molly tells Athena, "though they've been really tight-lipped about what those modifications are going to be."

 _I should ask Kenta about that_ , Athena resolves, telling Molly, "Keep up the good work, Chief."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Athena is at the residence of Captain Kenta and Lt. Col. Mackenzie, and is surprised when a redhead who looks like a younger version of the Lieutenant Colonel opens the door.

"Who are you?" the redheaded teenager demands.

"Captain Athena Ibaz," Athena identifies herself, "I'm here to see Captain Kenta."

The redhead opens the door wider, "He isn't in right now, but he'll be back soon. Come on in."

"Thank you," Athena enters, hanging her officer's hat and overcoat on a nearby rack and taking a seat on the sofa in the living room.

The redhead puts a can of diet soft drink in front of Athena as she drinks from another.

"I didn't realize that Christina has a younger sister…" Athena ventures.

The teenager spits out her drink, slamming her fist on the coffee table, "AHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEH!"

 _Quite a different personality from her older sister_ , Athena thinks.

Kenta enters the apartment and spots Athena with Erisia, "Captain Ibaz...I see that you've met our daughter, Erisia."

Athena blinks, "Daughter?"

The girl named Erisia rests her chin upon the top of her wrists, commenting, "It's... complicated. Oh, I almost forgot!"

The girl gets up and rushes over to the game console and turns on _Mobile Suit Fighters_ , happily declaring, "I got myself added in the latest patch!"

Seeing his daughter as a new addition to the game doesn't catch Kenta's attention as much as the name that her character was given: "Erisia Mackenzie Kenta."

"Since when was that your last name?" he asks her.

Eri brushes her hair aside as she replies with a soft yet distant expression, "I had my name legally changed while I was travelling... it simply felt like the right thing to do."

Athena, feeling slightly uncomfortable, says softly to Kenta, "Did I come at a bad time? If so, I can come back later."

"Not at all," Christina tells her as she walks in, "You'll have likely learned about Erisia and those like her before too long... this might even be the best way to introduce the cadets to this kind of thing."

Exhaling, Athena turns to the business for which she came, "Lt. Col….about those additional Centurion Gundam units…"

Kenta sighs deeply, "High Command must have found out about there being three Newtypes in this batch of recruits."

"Three?" Athena's eyes widen, "Jolie Minh, Jonah Michaels, and…?"

"The last one is... complicated," he replies, "but she is registered under the name Alexandria Black."

"A personnel file will be forwarded to you shortly," Christina adds, "After you review it, you'll understand."

"After I've finished updating it," Kenta grumbles.

Satisfied, Athena then asks, "Where's Jolie?"

"Not a fucking clue," the man replies as he sits down on the couch next to his daughter and grabs a controller.

* * *

The object of Athena's concern now accompanies Jonah Michaels to the top of an artificial knoll at Green Oasis City's Patton Park. Hand in hand, the couple ascends to the top of the hill, from which they can see much of Green Oasis City, including Revil Base.

Dressed in her white tank top and her denim thong shorts for the first time what feels like a lifetime, Jolie lies back on the grass, stuffing a pink cotton candy into her small sliver of a mouth and allowing the confection to melt.

Jonah lies next to Jolie, extracting the paper stick bearing the cotton candy from Jolie's mouth and kissing her fully on the lips.

His gentle artist's fingers find the smooth, warm skin on the curve of her buttocks, wonderfully exposed by her thong shorts...but to his surprise and dismay, Jolie takes his hand and sets it aside.

"No," she says, rising at the waist.

"What's wrong?" Jonah asks, disappointment and hurt unmistakable in his voice, "Are you still mad that I…?"

"No," Jolie says, "That isn't it. It's what _Sensei_ said back at the _dojo_ …"

Jonah remembers, "He said that we barely know each other, but that…"

"Well, he's right, isn't he?" Jolie asks.

"That didn't stop us at the Hotel Centinela that first night," Jonah reminds her.

"I know," Jolie concedes, "and it felt good...it felt right...but what _Sensei_ said makes sense too."

"Then what do you want to do about it?" Jonah says, feeling her hair.

She leans on his shoulder as they gaze into the distance and says, "We correct that."

They remain together on the knoll, he stroking her hair as they quietly watch the _Penesthelia_ being serviced in the distance.

* * *

Some crates arrive at Kenta's office at the training center. The veteran Federation officer opens the crates, revealing a wide variety of firearms and ammunition, including a dozen FAR-10's, standard-issue 9mm auto pistols, and a variety of other weapons that are ubiquitous to all Earth Federation Forces personnel.

 _They've shown that they can swing 'em_ , Kenta reflects as he inspects the weapons, _tomorrow, we see if they can shoot._

Monday can't come soon enough.

His phone rings at that moment. After glancing at the name, he answers with a rare smile, "Hello, Angel, need something?"

"Yes, actually. Are you busy right now?" Christina asked.

"Not for you. What do you need?"

"I need you to come to the Londo Bell Detention Facility on the base," she replies, "I need your expertise in getting answers."

"Be there in ten," the former PI affirms.

"And bring Eri with you," she adds, "She might be able to help us."

He has a feeling he knows what this is about. However, it's still too early to assume anything at this point. Kenta meets up with Erisa along the way there and figures he'd fill the silence with information.

"So," he begins, "Any ideas as to why your mom wants you in on this?"

Eri merely shrugs, "I don't know. I'm not sure how much help I can be…"

"Come on, you're smarter than that... just apply that brain of yours," Kenta encourages.

"Hmm…" Eri ponders, carefully, "If I had to guess, it has something to do with the Titans."

Kenta nods, "I was thinking the same."

"I hope it's nothing bad," she continues, "Like maybe she found someone on Uncle Jack's list?"

"I get the feeling it's a little more complex than that," he assures her, "Given how she wants you present, it might have something to do with the Cyber-Newtype Labs."

Eri hesitates for a while, "I hope I can help this time…"

Kenta says nothing as he spots Christina waving at them in front of the entrance to the detention center. Erisa smiles and runs up to greet her with a hug. It definitely lifts Erisa's mood a hair.

Christina gives him a peck on the cheek, "Thanks for coming."

"So, what exactly do you need us for?" he asks with a small smile.

"I think it's better if I show. This way." Christina motions the two to follow her into the building.

Curious now, the pair follow her to the monitoring side of the interrogation room. On the other side of the of the one-way glass sits the Gundam MK-III's unidentified pilot in an orange jumpsuit.

Both Kenta and Eri look at the kid as if they've seen his face before, but have trouble recalling where, vexing them both.

Christina smiles at the two, "Looks familiar, doesn't he?"

"He kinda reminds me of Uncle Jack, but more Asian and blond. Other than that, I feel like I have seen him in the Cyber Newtypes program, but I don't know where," Eri remarks, "Sorry…"

"I see… Ryusuke?" Christina turns to her boyfriend.

Kenta nods, "I'm getting a similar feeling. However, I'd like to know just who I'm dealing with."

"That's the thing: he hasn't said anything since he was taken into custody," Christina explains, "We don't even have a name! All we know is that he showed up to help us in a Gundam MK-III, wearing an adult-sized Titans normal suit."

This piques the former detective's interest, "Where the hell did a kid like him manage to get a Gundam like that?"

"That's what we want to know, " the Lt. Colonel answered, "In my honest opinion? He probably would've explained himself if my commander hadn't treated him like a threat. He doesn't trust any of us now."

"I figured as much, " Kenta sighs, "I'll try talking to him, then."

"Good luck!" Christina offers as Kenta enters the cell.

The kid glances at Kenta as the older man enters. There is a hint of curiosity in the younger man's eyes. Kenta takes it as a good thing as he notes the kid's Newtype level. It's the same level as another kid he knew, but chalks it up to it being a mere coincidence for now.

"That jumpsuit doesn't do you any justice, kid. " he begins as he sits in front of the youth, who stares at him warily, "Relax. I'm just here to talk."

The kid gives him a suspicious look as he continues, "I'm Captain Ryusuke Kenta. Well, technically, I'm retired. But, between you and me, it's really boring and I needed something to do. I really am just here to talk and, hopefully, help get you out of here."

Kenta's words get the boy's attention and he shifts in his seat, deciding to hear the captain out.

Kenta notes that he is a least rational as he continues, "So, I'm told that you're the one who helped us out; more specifically my girlfriend. She's the Lt. Colonel with long red hair. So, let me start by thanking you for saving her ass."

This surprises the young pilot, but he gives the Captain a very familiar grin. This time, it is Kenta who is mildly surprised. However, he pushes all thoughts aside for now. But seeing as this as another good sign, Kenta tries pushing his luck a little.

"So, got a name I can thank you with?" he asks, "I can't keep calling you 'kid' forever."

The kid frowns at that. He stares at the supposed retired Captain in a way that says "Nice try."

"Okay. How old are you?" Kenta asks, realizing it isn't going to be that easy.

He receives the same response. A different approach, maybe?

"Then, where did you get the Gundam?" he tries again, "Or even how you learned to pilot it? It's obvious that you're experienced in combat. I'd like to know where did you learn to fight like that."

The boy merely lays his head down on his arms. He has grown bored at the man's attempts at conversation. Not that he has anything against the guy, but he has no reason to trust him either.

Kenta sighs as he finally asks, "Okay, what do you want? Is there anything you want?"

The boy quietly stares at the man as a single word leaves his lips, "Home."

Kenta blinks at the unexpected answer. There are many things that this kid can ask for, and asking to go home was rather simple in comparison. He also notes that the kid has a faint Zeon accent - barely noticeable. It makes Kenta wonder just what exactly this kid has been through. Now that he has succeeded in getting the kid to talk, maybe he'll get a name and get him on his way there.

Kenta nods, "You want to go home. I get that, I really do... but in order for that to happen, I need a name... or at least something identification wise. Give me that, and it can be used to find your family."

The boy resumes his silence and lays his head back down. He refuses to speak any further despite Kenta's further attempts to get the kid to open up again. Kenta leaves it at that, seeing as how he at least got something out of him. What bothers Kenta, however, is how the kid seems to be familiar with his situation.

"It's like the kid can't trust anyone." Kenta comments aloud as he got back on the other side of the mirror.

Christina gives Ryusuke a reassuring smile, "Well, you got further than my superior did!"

Kenta scowls, "I don't even know what that scumbag tried, but I guarantee that it made things worse."

"I know," Christina frowns, "You know, I felt small flickers of hope when you talked to him. Especially, when he mentioned home…"

This makes the former detective groan as he begins to think. He had gotten close and the kid was used to his situation enough that he knew to keep his mouth shut. The kid is used to being questioned by adults.

He turns to Eri, "Eri, can I ask you to try and talk to him?"

"I'm sorry?" Eri squeaks.

"He's used to adults questioning him," Kenta explains, "Maybe he'll do better with someone his own age."

Eri hesitates, "Sorry, but I don't think I'd be much help… I wasn't exactly the best person around back then…"

Kenta nods, quietly. There is only one other person he could ask, but interrogation isn't her specialty. Still, she's better than nothing.

He looks at the kid, again. If this pilot is who Kenta thinks he is, he's going to have to make one hell of a phone call later.

* * *

At the same time, Captain Athena Ibaz is in her office reviewing the personnel files provided to her by Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie. Having reviewed all the files three times, Athena lingers over three…

Minh, Jolie Phong

Service Number 9545830

Michaels, Jonah Christopher

Service Number 5336211

Black, Alexandria (AKA "Grace Sullen")

Service Number 6052854

Lt. Col. Mackenzie appears promptly at the door, "Figured you'd be here late."

"There are three recruits I've got my eye on…" Athena informs her superior.

"Which three?" Christina ventures.

Athena exhales, "Cadet Jolie Minh."

Christina smiles, "A given."

Athena continues, "Cadet Jonah Michaels."

Christina nods, "More likely than not."

"Cadet Alexandria Black," Athena finishes.

"That last one," Christina hedges, "perhaps not."

"Why not?" Athena demands.

"We have a special assignment in mind for Black," Christina explains, "How about Cadet Nakazawa?"

"Absolutely not," Athena answers firmly, "I've reviewed his file and he's not compatible with Minh or Michaels. Not really suitable for my unit in any aspect, frankly."

"Why don't you come down to the firing range tomorrow to get a closer look?" Christina suggests.

Athena inserts a cigarette between her lips and lights up before answering, "What time do you begin?"

* * *

The cadets find themselves standing in front of a firing range the next morning. The Devil walks out flanked by several Federation officers

"Firearms training, kiddies," Kenta informs them, "Now listen up carefully and don't get trigger happy…we've got distinguished guests here with us this morning, so don't embarrass me by fucking up."

The recruits scan the senior officers. All of them recognize Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie and Captain Faith "Skoo" Koo of the Londo Bell Special Forces, but only Jolie, Jonah, and the Pachis twins recognize Captain Athena Ibaz seated next to Christina. Jolie also recognizes Col. Peter Cairlay (whom she remembers as "Col. Creepy"), whom she regards as if she were gazing at a drowned rodent. Representing the Intelligence Corps are 1Lt. Eric Gardner, a genial and charming young officer, and his direct superior, a stoic, dark-haired woman introduced to the recruits as Major Emily Ryan. Jolie, Jonah, and especially Alexandria/Grace are surprised to see Chief Petty Officer Lucien Ashworth present, and rounding out the group are two additional officers whom none of the recruits have yet encountered - Commodore Mallory Stoyanovich and Commander Daguza Mackle of the EFSF Armada.

From her place in the line of recruits, Jolie sizes up Mallory Stoyanovich...a martial-looking woman in her mid-thirties with dark hair and dark, penetrating eyes. Jolie is enough of a predator herself to recognize in Mallory an alpha predator of the highest order, seeing Mallory immediately as an individual that she does not wish to cross. Indeed, when Mallory fixes her cold glare upon her, Jolie cannot help but feel an internal chill.

"You will now each be issued four firearms, an assault rifle, a submachine gun, a sniper rifle, and an automatic pistol," Kenta admonishes, "You will point these weapons towards the ground with the safeties locked until I say otherwise. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the recruits reply.

Kenta summons them individually in numerical order according to their service numbers. The recruits pass by a long table, where each of them extracts from four boxes the weapons noted by Kenta. Carrying these items in the manner that Kenta prescribed, the recruits then proceed to line up in rows where targets have been arranged at five- to ten-meter distances, placing the weapons at their feet as they await Kenta's instructions.

"First will be small arms testing," Kenta announces, "Pick up your automatic pistols and insert the ammo clips, now."

The recruits comply, though Kenta notes that Cadet Jonah Michaels struggles a bit, nearly dropping the weapon more than once, and attempting to load the clip backwards before correcting himself.

"Don protective gear," Kenta orders the recruits.

The young men and women respond by putting on protective goggles and earmuffs.

"Remove the safeties," Kenta instructs.

The recruits do as Kenta orders.

"Assume shooting position and point your weapon at the target," Kenta bellows, "but do NOT fire your weapon until instructed to do so."

Kenta inspects each recruit's stance and grip individually, making both verbal and manual adjustments for each recruit as needed, pointing out the flaws he sees and showing them better stances and grips.

Kenta notes that Cadet Minh is the only one who adopts a one-handed stance - undoubtedly a byproduct of her unruly years at Industria Colony. The girl is clearly is no stranger to handling firearms, though that hardly means that she has been handling them correctly.

Cadet Michaels, on the other hand, clearly appears to be a youth unfamiliar with and somewhat contemptuous of such lethal weapons - not unexpected considering what Kenta knows of his character. The standard grip that Michaels adopts, though appearing to have been learned from an orthodox source, is nevertheless awkward and ill-suited to the young man.

"Ready your weapons," Kenta instructs them.

The recruits check their weapons and point them at the targets.

"When I order you to fire, aim for the center of the mass," Kenta tells the recruits, "Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the recruits collectively respond.

"Two shots at the target at five meters!" Kenta barks out.

For the next five seconds, the field is saturated with gunfire as a dozen rounds impact upon target boards.

"Now, two shots at the target at ten meters!" Kenta commands.

Once again, the area becomes a firestorm of live rounds impacting targets. The process is repeated, alternating between the targets at five meters and those at ten, until the weapons' ammunition clips are expended.

"That's enough!" Kenta finally shouts, loudly enough for them to hear through the gunfire and earmuffs.

"Cadet Michaels," Kenta says, fixing Jonah in his gaze, "Come here."

Jonah dutifully steps towards the veteran.

Kenta removes another weapon from his boot...a snub nose .357 Magnum revolver.

"That's…" Jonah remarks, "...a police gun?"

"Not quite," Kenta answers, "though it is similar in some ways. Take it. I want you to use it."

Jonah holds the heavy revolver in the same manner that he had held the automatic pistol.

"No, you're doing it wrong, Michaels," Kenta says, correcting his grip and his stance, "now try it. Five-meter target, now. One shot."

Jonah complies; the shot knocks Jonah back a bit, and Kenta steadies the youth so he doesn't fall on his rear.

"That's...wow," Jonah says breathlessly.

"Ok, try that again," he replies as he takes out his .44 magnum, "And this time, do as I do."

Kenta fires a single shot, seemingly at no particular target... Until the cadets hear a metallic ting and see the flag pole 150 yards away shaking.

Jonah notices right away how Kenta bends his elbows, letting the recoil carry the gun over head.

"A revolver doesn't work like your typical automatic, Michaels. They don't rely on the recoil to chamber the next round, so there is no need to let it hit you...that being said, shooting a revolver is something of a dying art. If you're interested, I'll explain more about it later."

Kenta holsters the .44 magnum revolver and Jonah attempts the shot again. Better, but still far from ideal.

"I…" Jonah begins, but doesn't know how to continue.

"Look, Michaels," Kenta says, "I know you're the kind of guy who probably gets torn up on whether to squash a roach in your bathroom sink, but you're going to be out in a war within months. Maybe weeks. You've got to set it aside and get it done, son."

"I'll...try, sir," Jonah says meekly.

"The hell you will," Kenta remarks as he turns his attention next to Jolie, "Cadet Minh. Switch your weapon to your left hand."

"I'm right-handed," Jolie complains.

"Just do it, Minh," Kenta insists.

Having learned from extensive experience that protesting against Kenta's directives is futile, Jolie complies. Kenta observes as Jolie shoots at the target with her off hand, paying particular attention to her grip and her stance, nodding meaningfully to himself, but in a manner that Jolie cannot be certain is approval or some other cause.

Having made all the necessary observations he needs of Minh, Kenta next turns his attention to Cadet Alexandria Black, who seems half asleep, but whose accuracy is uncannily not suffering much for it, as far as Kenta can tell.

Alexandria takes a moment to get into her stance, aims, and fires a few shots at the target's bullseye. The groupings of her shots land within fewer than four centimeters in diameter and dance around the bullseye itself. Given, she chalks it up to her lack of sleep as of late. No thanks to her mental roommate, of course.

"Not bad Cadet Black," Ryusuke tells her, "Your grouping is impeccable."

"Thanks, I guess…" she says giving another yawn. She'll have to deal with it with short naps in between now.

Kenta continues down each row, adjusting and correcting the remaining cadets' firing techniques as necessary. As their ammunition runs out, Kenta indicates that it's time to move on.

"You have three minutes to get set up at the sub machine guns station," Kenta advises the recruits.

The recruits file towards the sub machine gun stations, except for Cadet Jolie Minh, who first examines the target board that Alexandria shot into, and then her own.

 _Damn_ , Jolie thinks to herself, eyes widening, _she got them within four centimeters! All of mine are over seven centimeters!_

"MINH!" Kenta thunders, "HURRY YOUR ASS UP!"

"Yes, sir," Jolie replies meekly, "Sorry, sir!"

Minutes later, the recruits are lined up at the submachine gun stations; the recruits ready the UMP-X submachine guns they have been issued - descendants of the Heckler and Koch UMP-45 submachine guns of the past.

Kenta holds a UMP-X in his right hand, muzzle pointed skyward, as he tells the recruits, "I'm going to show you cock monglers how it's done. Pay attention and watch carefully."

A few of the recruits turn to each other and mouth the same question, "Th' hell is a 'cock mongler?'"

To that, Kenta merely adds, "Look in a mirror, you'll figure it out."

The recruits watch attentively as the veteran carefully lines up his UMP-45 and releases several controlled five-round bursts from the weapon that cleanly and efficiently knock down the targets.

Kenta first turns his attention to Cadet Jonah Michaels, who swallows, the UMP-X feeling completely alien in his hands.

"Get a good grip, Michaels," Kenta advises, "This baby's got lots of kick."

"Right, sir," Jonah affirms.

"Aim at the target," Kenta instructs, "Steady…five-round bursts, Michaels."

Jonah lets loose with a burst of fire that would be sufficient to reduce a healthy, living human body to a pile of liquified flesh within minutes.

The weapon rattles in Jonah's hands with a violence that far surpasses the gentle artist's worst expectations. He's tempted to release the trigger as the gun begins climbing upward...

Kenta rubs his forehead for a moment as if suffering a migraine, muttering "Jesus Christ" under his breath before placing his hand on Jonah's weapon to hold it steady and prevent further climb.

As Jonah releases his grip on the trigger, sweaty-handed and hyperventilating, Kenta growls, "I'm gonna have to spend the entire day teaching you how to shoot, aren't I, Cadet Mud?"

Jonah gulps, able to tell that Kenta's "question" is anything but.

"MINH!" Kenta hollers turning away from Jonah to Jolie, "Let's see what you can do!"

Jolie, who has been quietly and somewhat worriedly staring at Jonah's subpar performance on the submachine gun, moves into position. She levels her UMP-X at the targets, trigger finger at the ready.

"Don't get trigger-happy, Minh," Kenta warns, knowing that the girl is likely to start blasting before he gives the order, and taking quiet satisfaction when she doesn't, "controlled three to five round bursts. Can you manage that?"

"Yes, sir," comes the reply.

"All right, Minh," Kenta finally says after a long, tense minute, "Let 'em rip!"

With a newfound brachial fortitude born of a week of sword-forging and sword-training with Kenta, Jolie manages to hold her weapon in a much firmer grip than did Jonah.

Jolie unleashes the required bursts.

 _Not bad_ , Kenta concedes, _but not yet as precise as she needs to be. Still, correctable with a few minor adjustments and some practice._

Turning away from Jolie, Kenta next focuses his attention on Cadet Black.

Alexandria blinks, still looking half asleep as she holds the UMP-X pointed skyward.

"You OK, Black?" Kenta inquires, "You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'm OK, sir." Alexandria answers promptly.

"All right," Kenta answers, "On my order: three, two, one...short burst, now!"

Alexandria releases several controlled bursts, aiming slightly below the intended target and using the recoil of the full auto burst, taking advantage of the climb to make most of her bullets hit the target.

Jolie stares, wide-eyed with astonishment as Kenta nods with approval.

"Great shooting, Black," Kenta remarks, "All right: all of you take a breather. Assault weapons training in fifteen minutes at 08:30!"

Jolie grabs Alexandria by the arm and spins the other young woman around to face her, demanding, "How do you do that?! Only other person who can pull that off is 'Thena over there, and you'd give even her a run for her money!"

"I…" Alexandria begins uncertainly, "...well, you know...it kind of comes naturally."

"Comes naturally my ass," Jolie says acidly, "C'mon! Show me how you do it!"

"That's Captain Kenta's job," Alexandria replies, beginning to feel irritated.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that, anyway?" Jolie demands, not taking the hint.

An uncomfortable silence follows until Jonah approaches, drawing Jolie's attention from Alexandria, much to the latter's relief.

"You!" Jolie complains, "You keep shooting like that, and you're going to get drummed out of the Federal Forces! Your shooting was total shit, Boyo!"

"I know, I know," Jonah admits nervously, "and next up is an even bigger gun. I don't know if…"

"Shhhhh!" Jolie warns, "Kenta's coming."

"Break's over, kiddies," Kenta says, nearly smiling a devilish smile, "Now it's time for the biggest toy."

Kenta removes the safety on the largest firearm the recruits have seen up to this point today.

"Kuroimitsu FAR-10," Kenta announces, demonstrating the weapon's use, "Don't let the size of it fool you...this is a precision weapon."

Kenta observes as each of the recruits ply their targets with fire from the FAR-10. He notices a consistent pattern developing among the recruits.

Jonah is steadier on the FAR-10 than he was on the UMP-X, which isn't saying much, but using the burst fire setting, three-round bursts for every tug on the trigger, seems more manageable for Jonah, though Kenta can tell that the boy still needs a great deal of help.

Kenta also notes that for the first time, Michaels is..."enjoying" is not quite the right word, but confident with firing the weapon in a way that he wasn't earlier in the morning.

Jolie, unexpectedly, is having greater trouble, though it's not so much a problem of proficiency as it is one of attitude and focus. Reading the frustrated look on the girl's face as she punctuates her shots with glares at Alexandria, Kenta doesn't need to use his Newtype intuition to know what's eating Minh.

"Don't let your ego be your focus, Minh," Kenta tells her, "or you might as well shoot yourself before the enemy does."

Not sure what Kenta means by that, Jolie continues to ply shots from the FAR-10 into the target boards...her shot getting more astray as her anger grows.

"CALM DOWN, MINH," Kenta thunders.

 _That kid is still leading with her ego_ , Kenta reflects, _it's going to get her killed._

"What are you so angry at?" Kenta demands marching in close to her, "Didn't you learn anything from that week we just spent at the forge? Damn, you're thick sometimes, Minh…"

"I…" Jolie begins.

"You have a serious ego problem," Kenta tells her unflinchingly, "Your entire mindset is self-centered, and that's why you keep failing. This isn't a contest to prove who's better, Minh! It's about keeping your shit together so you aren't a liability to those depending on you! God damn it, is it going to take one of these people getting killed before you get it?!"

So saying, Kenta points at Jonah, who glances nervously over his shoulder to give Jolie a worried look before refocusing on the targets ahead.

Kenta tries a different approach, saying more mildly, "Minh...if you want to sulk like a spoiled child, that's your business, but let me remind you that your actions here will reflect upon Athena for recruiting you. You call that being a good friend? If I were you, I'd make sure it's a good reflection."

Jolie turns to look at Athena, seated next to Lt. Col. Mackenzie on the panel of observers.

Athena, arms crossed and confident, gives Jolie the barest of encouraging smiles, as if to say, _"Get it together, kid."_

Jolie steadies herself and begins dutifully taking shots according to Kenta's directives.

* * *

Back at the panel, Christina whispers to Athena, "Your Cadet Minh's got quite a temper, Captain."

Athena nods, "I knew that before I brought her in. That fire can burn the enemy, or burn us. Before she finishes this training program, we need to make sure that fire is pointed in the right direction."

"Then Kenta truly is the best person for the job," Christina replies, "He knows better than any how a fire like that can rage out of control."

"Naturally," Athena adds, "imagine if Kissingham were still in charge of the recruits' training."

Christina suppresses a giggle at the thought, to Athena's amusement.

Commodore Stoyanovich makes no such attempt and laughs boisterously. "Is good to know someone has sense of humor around here," the woman says in a thick Russian accent, "and Kissingham was mediocre at best, but where are my manners?"

The statuesque Russian woman stands and extends her strong, sinewy hand with a wide, winning grin, "Commodore Mallory Stoyanovich, EFSF."

Athena takes the other woman's hand and nods respectfully, "Captain Athena Ibaz, Centurion Team, ma'am."

"Da," Mallory answers, "Is Pleasure, Keptain. Are you of Russian heritage, Keptain Ibaz?

Athena smiles, "My family says we were, some generations ago, before the Universal Century era."

* * *

"All right, that's enough," Kenta tells the recruits, "Five minutes to get to the sniper rifle station and set up. MOVE IT!"

In passing, Alexandria remarks to Jolie, "My hand is starting to feel sore."

"Don't rub it in," Jolie answers, somewhat defensively.

"I'm not," Alexandria says, "Chill out."

The recruits pick up the sniper rifles...somewhat heavier in their hands than the two previous weapons.

Jonah holds the weapon in a firing position, getting a few hands-on adjustments by Kenta, and sets his eye against the scope. Though the weapon is heavy, Jonah finds this it unexpectedly...comfortable wouldn't be the way he would characterize it, but there's a certain….not quite familiarity, but perhaps..a similarity with how he might use a pencil or brush to bring an illustration to life. A sharp eye...subtle refined action of the hands...something Jonah feels an affinity towards.

Kenta observes, _Far from an ideal, finished product, but this kind of weapon suits him. It figures._

Stepping down the line to Jolie, Kenta notes that the girl has, unsurprisingly, cast aside even the pretensions of going by the playbook and is firing almost on instinct. The results, while not horrible, nevertheless do not make best use of her potential...still more wild than focused.

Kenta steps towards Alexandria, seeing as expected another highly efficient performance that indicates none of this is new for her. Something worth exploring in greater detail...later.

* * *

During a break, Jolie asks, " _Sensei_ , why are we even training with sniper rifles? We aren't assassins."

"Aren't we, Minh?" Kenta answers plainly, "Killing is killing."

"Well, yeah, but…" Jolie begins.

"The only difference between a soldier and an assassin is how much they get paid," Kenta finishes.

Jolie doesn't seem quite convinced, but Kenta's words leave her something to think about.

"Most assassinations were done by people who were at one point in their lives, soldiers," Kenta points out.

"Like that dude who killed an American President like back in the 1900s?" Jolie asks, "Ozzy Osbourne or something like that?"

Kenta laughs, "Sure, Minh...Ozzy Osbourne."

"Oswald. Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963," Alexandria corrects, yawning, "Get your facts straight, Minh!"

Jolie blinks, "OK, OK. I haven't been in school since 4th Grade, you know?" She doesn't need to reiterate the reason, but then asks, "so who was Ozzy Osbourne anyway?"

Alexandria rolls her eyes as Kenta says, "Play you some of his music on Sunday, but for now, back to the targets. Let me give you a few pointers and adjust your technique a bit."

The training continues until noon. Satisfied with the information he has gathered on each of the recruits, and having showcased their potential to the brass, Kenta adjourns the session...and the training for the remainder of the day.

"All right," Kenta tells the recruits, now standing at attention in rows, "We're going to be evaluating your data and deciding what needs to be done next. You have the rest of the day off. Report back at 18:00."

"Yes, sir!" the recruits chorus enthusiastically, pleased by the unexpected downtime.

Captain Athena Ibaz dismisses herself from from Lt. Col. Mackenzie's company and approaches the recruits, even as Mackenzie leaves with Kenta.

"'Thena!" Jolie grins.

Athena gives Jolie an affectionate pat on the shoulder, and then extends her hand to Alexandria, "Cadet Black, I believe we haven't met. I'm Captain Athena Ibaz of the Centurion Special Operations Team."

"The one who recovered the Centurion Gundam?" Alexandria asks, taking Athena's hand.

"Hey, I helped!" Jolie interjects.

Athena nods modestly, "That was excellent marksmanship, Cadet Black."

"'Thena, are you gonna recruit Alexandria into the Centurion Team too?" Jolie asks.

"That's a discussion for later," Athena tells Jolie cryptically.

 _I don't like this_ , Jolie privately fumes, _I think I'm being upstaged in front of 'Thena._

Athena turns her attention back to Alexandria, "I look forward to working with you, Cadet Black. My unit can certainly use your talents."

"Thank you, ma'am," Alexandria blushes under the praise.

Seeing Jolie fuming, Athena turns to her, "You and I need to talk. Come with me to my office."

* * *

After they arrive at her office, Athena offers Jolie a cigarette and lights up one of her own, bidding Jolie to take a seat and tossing the back of her mane of honey blonde hair with both hands before pointing at the similarly, but black-coiffed Jolie, "Not very original, Cadet Minh."

"I had a little...um, accident during training," Jolie says sheepishly, blushing slightly, "I burned off some of my hair and Kenta had to cut it shorter, so I decided to go for your hairstyle."

Athena nods, "I've been reading the notes that Captain Kenta has kept on you, Jolie. You need to put a lid on that temper. Of all the things that get soldiers killed on the battlefield, emotions rank at the top."

"Yeah, but…" Jolie begins.

"No 'buts,'" Athena cuts her off sternly, "if you're going to serve under my command, then you're going to need to think clearly at all times, is that understood, Cadet Minh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jolie answers sheepishly, but then brightens, "Does that mean…?"

Athena shakes her head, "Nothing is decided yet. There's still so much water that needs to pass under the bridge before that's determined."

"What about Alexandria?" Jolie asks, "Are you going to recruit her too, 'Thena?"

Athena looks Jolie in the eye as she says, "As I just told you, nothing is decided yet."

"Hey," Jolie grins, turning the conversation in a lighter direction, "Graduation is coming up. What do you think about having the graduation party at the Andromeda?"

"The Andromeda," Captain Athena Ibaz suddenly realizes, "Jolie...when's the last time you went there…?"

Jolie thinks about it, and then answers, "The night before training began….shit."

A sinking feeling hits Jolie's stomach as she realizes the import of what Athena is suggesting.

"That's two weeks ago," Athena sighs, covering her eyes and shaking her head, "Come on...we'd better see if your club is still there!"

* * *

The pair arrives at the Andromeda within ten minutes. The property has been boarded up and abandoned.

"Shit," is all Jolie can say when she sees it, covering the top of her head with both hands as she stares in helpless frustration at the result of her impulse buy two weeks ago.

Athena pulls out her phone and makes a number of calls...to the mortgage company, lawyers, various banks and financing companies, interior decorators, signage makers, and staffing agencies.

After a few hours, the commanding officer of the Centurion Team tells her protege, "Cleaning crews are on the way. I've scheduled an interior decorator to stop by later this afternoon, and I've got the back payments for the employees squared away. Most of them who haven't found new jobs yet are willing to come back once the club reopens."

"That's great!" Jolie enthuses, "You're a miracle-worker, 'Thena! But...what's this going to cost me?"

Athena smiles, "I'm now the minority owner of the Andromeda Nightclub."

"Minority owner?" Jolie echoes.

Athena nods and explains, "You're the majority owner with a 60% share; I'll retain 40% of any profit the club earns. Fair enough to you?"

Jolie thinks about it, and finally answers, "Well, considering you bailed my ass out…but hey, you said you're hiring an interior decorator? We got someone who can do that!"

Athena smiles, "Your Jonah Michaels?"

"Can I bring him down here right now?" Jolie asks, eyes wide with eagerness.

Athena nods her assent.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jolie is back with Jonah, who takes a look at the decor and makes an assessment based on his instincts.

"The cosmic theme they had going here seemed pretty popular with the customers," Jonah remarks, "I think that should be retained."

Athena walls, "Cosmic decor aside, the walls seemed kind of bare. Jolie tells me you're a painter. Think you can do something about that?"

Jonah nods, "I can, whenever I can get some downtime...like on Sundays."

"'Thena," Jolie proposes, "Jonah and I do everything together. Would it be OK if we split the ownership of the club three ways with Jonah?"

Jonah opens his mouth to protest, "But…"

Jolie puts a hand on his mouth and shakes her head at him, "Shhhhhhhhhhh!"

 _Looks like I'm going to be a part of this whether I want to or not_ , Jonah reflects, wondering if he's traded off his brother for Jolie being the captain of his destiny.

The actual captain present in the room, Athena Ibaz, points out, "I don't have a problem with that, but do we keep the name 'Andromeda' for familiarity and continuity with the previous club?."

"No," Jolie insists, "I think we should call it the White Phoenix Club!"

"Egotistical much?" Athena chides with a grin, "If we're going to do this as a trio, maybe the name should reflect that."

"Oy," Jolie scratches her head, "Three Musketeers? Three Amigos? Three Stooges?"

" _La Club Leonne, Draccon, et Fenix_ ," Jonah says.

"La what?" Jolie asks.

"The Lion, Dragon, and Phoenix Club," Athena explains, "I like it; it's apt."

Jonah sketches out a concept logo on a sheet of paper from Athena's desk, showing the results to Athena and Jolie, who nod with approval.

* * *

The young man sits in the interrogation room once more. He's been here for three days, but he hasn't spoken yet. He didn't talk for that creepy bastard. He did give one word to the demon detective, though. That was his mistake. He definitely won't talk for whoever they send today.

The door opens, and he prepares himself for the worst... only to find himself shocked when a girl his age wearing a green Federation Military Uniform walks in. Her light blue hair and bright green eyes give her an almost fairy-like appearance. Then he notices what's in her hands, and the smell hits him. "OHMYGOD," he mentally shouts, "IT'S REAL FOOD!"

"Hello," she greets him cheerfully as she walks up to the table, "Mr. Kenta says you're being stubborn, so he hopes you'll be more comfortable around someone your own age."

 _My God, she's adorable_ , He thinks before shaking himself, _WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? Pull it together man! Stay strong, I don't need that food... I don't need it!_

"I'm sure you must be hungry," she says as she sits down with a smile. Suddenly a touch of sadness appears in her expression as she says, "I'm all too aware of how bad the food they serve in prison tastes."

 _WHO WOULD DARE IMPRISON SUCH AN ANGEL?! I'LL KILL 'EM_ , he internally rages before realizing where his thoughts are wandering again, _Wait... did I just refer to her as an Angel? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH ME!?_

"I've been told you can't have any food if you don't talk to me," she says as her cheerful demeanor returns, "So will you tell me your name? Speaking of which, I'm Recoco."

 _So they're using sweet little Recoco to try and- WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING!_ He immediately looks away, trying to look as uninterested as possible.

"Wow, you really are stubborn," she says with a giggle, "Suit yourself then."

Recoco reaches into the bag and pulled out a foil wrapped food item, and he knows right away that it's a burger, but he has never seen one so big. She slowly unwraps it to reveal said burger and begins describing it. "This is a Five Guys double bacon cheeseburger," she tells him.

 _Is it me or did her voice just sounded a little husky?  
_  
"Aside from the obvious toppings, I had them put lettuce, tomato, jalapeno pepper slices for some extra bite, and A1 steak sauce to enhance the flavor of the beef."

 _Please, for the love of God, have mercy!_

"And it's all yours if you just tell me your name."

 _Oh God, no! I'm a virgin! Wait... WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS!?  
_  
He feels his mouth water as he stares at both the food and the cutie in front of him. Is it bad that he wants both? Is he reverting to base animalistic instincts?

 _Stop. It! You are in enemy territory for all you know! Why choose now to waiver?!_ he thinks, snapping out of it.

Still, James is starving for real food and apparently, his goddamn mind over a girl. It leaves him with few options at this point and deeply frustrated.

Reccoco sighs, "Ah, and here I thought you might be hungry. Guess I'll have to eat it myself, then."

 _Oh good, she's… Wait, what is she doing, again!?_

His eyes widen as she takes a bite of the burger in front of his face. James feels his resolve slipping away…

 _Damn it!_

"STOP!" he barks without meaning to, which startles Recoco into nearly dropping the burger.

He's going to hate himself for this. The young man sighs before continuing, "You wanna know who I am, right? Nothing else?"

She nods, not sure where he is going with this. Interrogation really isn't her specialty, but seeing as how she is the only one who has succeeded in getting him to talk, it doesn't really matter. Either way, this is progress.

A full minute passes before he motions her closer. She lends him her ear and waits patiently for him to speak. She also notices the faint smell of lemons on him. Despite it being so simple of a scent, it's quite effective.

"JS-1," The boy's breath tickles her ear as he speaks in a low whisper that made her knees feel weak.

 _God, what is he doing to me?!_ Recoco thinks, trying to shake it off, _Never mind that! You got what you came here for!_

She coughs as she hands him the burger, "Well, a deal is a deal, then."

The sound of metal against the table catches her attention. Recoco sees the handcuffs and realizes that she has forgotten that they have JS-1, or "Jay" for now, handcuffed to the table to prevent escape or harm while interrogation is in progress. Not that he has talked to anyone other than her so far. However, Recoco is yet to determine if it's because of her or the fact she has brought him real food.

 _Maybe both?_ she speculates curiously.

"Er… I guess I have to, then," she says to no one in particular as Jay raises a brow in interest.

Recoco blushes in embarrassment as she holds out the half-wrapped burger to him. "Um, say 'ahh'?"

 _Is this a joke or does she really want me to humor her?_ Jay thinks he gives her an odd look.

Still, food is food. He can't complain about how he eats it at this point. With his finger, he motions her to bring the food closer r. However, that seems to make her more hesitant, which causes him to frown. Jay knows that he must say something again to get her closer. He isn't going to try and reach that far over the table only to scare her.

"I'm not gonna bite, ya know," he reassures her, motioning her forward again.

Somehow, Recoco misinterprets his words a hair at the thought of his mouth all over her body, biting every so often to mark her fair, pretty skin. The fact that Recoco is getting turned on by the thought slaps the teenage boy in the face with desire and lust. Luckily, the sensation only lasts for a minute.

Recoco does get close enough so he can comfortably eat the burger. By then, he manages to clear his own head and focus on the food instead of… other things. He takes as big of a bite as he can manage while being mindful of the girl's fingers. A delightful moan escapes from his mouth. It has been so long since he's had real food.

She continues to feed him until nothing is left. The young pilot yawns, feeling the need to take a nap. By then, Recoco feels the need to leave the room before she embarrasses herself further. She coughs into her hand to get Jay's attention.

"Thank you for your cooperation. I'll be taking my leave now," Recoco tells him as she leaves the room to report to Kenta, leaving the kid to his own devices again.

* * *

Recoco takes a deep breath and smacks her cheeks before heading straight to Christina's office. Though, no matter how hard she tries, that boy remains in her head when she enters the office.

Christina merely smiled, knowingly, as she entered, "Did you find anything interesting, Ensign?"

Recoco blushes before answering, "I didn't get a name, but I did get a designation: JS-1."

Christina nods, "Thank you Ensign, you've been a monumental help."

Recoco gets up and gives a salute, her cheeks still a little pink, "I'll be taking my leave now, Ms. Mackenzie."

They wait until the door closes before Kenta turns to Erisia, "You recognize that designation?"

Eri shakes her head before sighing, "Sorry, but I never bothered to learn who everyone else was since I was told I was superior all the time. I saw everyone as beneath me... I was a rotten little bitch back then. The only one who would know anything would be my twin sister SC4RL3T."

This surprises both Ryusuke and Christina, "Scarlet's your twin sister!?"

Eri blinks in a similar manner, "You know where she is?"

Kenta nods, "She's a member of the Raptor Team under Captain Faith Koo."

"She also has an exemplary combat record too." Christina added.

Erisa frowns in guilt, "Now I feel even more rotten, because I always told her she'd never amount to anything!"

The two officers share a look before Christina speaks, "I'll see about bringing Scarlet in on this... and letting her know who her parents are."

"I'd stay, but I have recruits to train, " Kenta remarks as he heads for the door, "Let me know when to be here."

* * *

August 20, UC 0098, 10:47 local time, the space between Earth and L3 orbit where Side 7 is located…

Horizont SpacewaysFlight 39 is _en rout_ from its launch point in Los Angeles, California in what was, centuries earlier, the United States of America to Green Oasis City at Side 7. Aboard are over five-hundred civilian passengers - mostly summer vacationers on the way from Earth to visit relatives living at L3 or Side 7, or families and school groups returning from summer trips to Earth back home to Side 7 to begin school in the coming weeks.

The mood aboard the spacecraft is celebratory and light as the pilot of the commercial passenger ship announces through the PA, "Our ETA to Green Oasis Spaceport is just around 45 minutes from now, folks. Just sit tight and we'll have everybody where they need to be right on time."

The shuttle craft proceeds towards its destination when without warning, five menacing, anthropomorphic armored forms rapidly surround it. Black Rick Diases, their monoeyes glowing a baleful green.

"Captain," the co-pilot says nervously, gazing out the forward viewport, "those are…"

"Mobile suits," the captain says grimly, "They aren't from the Earth Federation Forces. Who are they and what do they want?"

A shot from the clay bazooka of one of the black Rick Dias mobile suits disables the shuttle's engine, leaving the spacecraft adrift, and sending passengers and crew members sprawling down the aisle, screaming...some wounded, all terrified.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the captain announces through a dry throat, "please remain calm. We are in a dangerous situation and it's imperative that you all remain in your seats and respond to directives for your safety."

Several long, anxious moments later, the main external hatch of the spacecraft is cut open with a beam cutter device. Heavily armed men and women clad in unidentfiable normalsuits storm aboard the spacecraft.

The passengers let out a collective cry of horror as the normal suited figures unleash a neurotoxin that sears their breathing passages and causes them to collapse into uncontrollable spasms as their organs begin to fail. Men, women, children...more than five-hundred in number...mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren...all painfully, fearfully wrenched from the grasp of lives that had, just minutes earlier, been so joyful and hopeful.

The lead figure of the assault group stalks his way to the pilots' cabin, finding the crew dead at the controls. He slaps a note onto the forehead of the slain captain of the spacecraft: "THUS ALWAYS TO EARTHIST TYRANTS - COURTESY OF **SLEEVES**."

* * *

"FUCKING SHIT!" Col. Jack Spencer thunders, throwing a wrench across the main garage where it lands in the corner, "THOSE BASTARDS!"

Jack's daughter, Penelope, picks up the tool thrown by her father, ashen-faced from the news that they both heard just moments ago.

"Over five-hundred lives lost," UCN correspondent Ken Cheng reports grimly, "the terrorists, who have claimed unconfirmed affiliation with the militant Side 3-based Spacenoid independence group Sleeves used the neurotoxin G6…"

"Militant my fucking ass!" Jack roars at the screen, his face a livid mask of rage.

"Daddy," Penelope says soothingly, "We need to get on top of this, fast."

Jack nods, "I'm going to meet with Artesia, Dory, and Hathaway."

Jack grabs his coat and heads out the door, flooring the pedal of his jeep as he heads towards Dr. Artesia Deikun's office.

* * *

The mood is equally grim and contentious at Col. Peter Cairlay's office at Revil Hall at Side 7, where the colonel speaks to two of his top officers, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie and Captain Athena Ibaz.

"The public is looking for answers," Cairlay tells the two women, "they want to know what the Londo Bell Forces are going to do about these so-called 'Sleeves' terrorists."

"You've positively identified the group who attacked Flight 39 as Sleeves, sir?" Athena sees fit to point out.

"They left a note on the pilot's head," Cairlay says darkly, "They couldn't be more obvious."

"That in of itself isn't odd," Athena probes, "the whole point of terrorism, after all, is psyops. That said, going after a commercial craft whose passengers were predominantly Spacenoids isn't consistent with Sleeves' agenda."

"Captain Ibaz has a point, Colonel," Christina supplements, "I think that we shouldn't act rashly until we get more intel."

Cairlay looks at the two officers through narrow eyes, "In any case, the President and High Command expect us to address this matter...quickly. Lt. Col. Mackenzie, Captain Ibaz: I want you to place the Centurion Team on high alert."

"Yes, sir," Christina and Athena salute in unison.

* * *

A somber meeting convenes at the Zum City condominium of Artesia Som Deikun, where she lives with her son Christian. Artesia has sent Christian on errands, leaving her free to meet with a group that includes Col. Jack Spencer, Kai Shiden, Dory Ischinda, and Hathaway Noa.

"Those shitheads behind this are leaving us with one hell of a PR nightmare to deal with," Jack tells the group darkly, "we need to get ahead of them in getting out the message of Sleeves' true mission."

"I trust that most of the Spacenoid population knows where we stand," Artesia begins, "but our problem is that our outreach abilities are limited. As I understand it, the Earth Federation heavily censors the _Cislunar Free Media_ in all territories under its control."

"Hopeless," Kai sighs bitterly, "we've been pegged as terrorists for years, and this isn't going to help."

"We need to change the narrative," Jack argues, "and to do that, we need to get to the bottom of who these pretenders are and stop them at the source."

"To do that," Kai points out, "we're going to need some help from inside the Federation itself. If only we could reach out to Bright somehow…"

"You can't trust him!" Hathaway interjects furiously, "he's a puppet of the Earthists, and he'll sell you out! I know you think of him as a friend because of your time serving under him on the _White Base_ , but he's a different man now!"

Jack levels a heated glare at the kid and tells him, "Bright Noa is the best possible person we could have on our side, and last time I checked, we don't have a lot of options, now get out!"

An uncomfortable silence follows Hathaway's angry outburst.

Jack rises, putting on his jacket, telling the group, "Penny and I are headed to Luna 2 next week to do a favor for a friend. We're also going to get in touch with Athena Ibaz...see what she might be able to do to help us out."

Dory's eyes light up at the mention of Athena, "You'll be meeting with her Majesty?"

"It's Captain Ibaz of the Earth Federation Forces now," Jack tells Dory, "She's going to be the key to solving this problem we've got."

* * *

Her footsteps fall quickly, but lightly as she glides ghostlike through the corridors of administration tower on the grounds of Revil Base at Side 7. Summoned urgently by Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, 2Lt. Scarlet knows that the matter at hand must be momentous.

Clad in a vintage-styled Earth Federation Forces uniform reminiscent of those popular among junior officers during the UC 0080s, with the Raptor Team's distinctive bird of prey logo on the upper left sleeve, the youthful officer's eyes widen in surprise as she enters Lt. Col. Mackenzie's office.

"What are you doing here?" Scarlet growls upon seeing her twin sister for the first time in years.

Erisia flinches, but says nothing as she continues to avoid eye contact with her younger twin. Christina, who had asked Captain Skoo to send Scarlet over, quietly observes and is prepared to intervene, if necessary. She originally brought Scarlet over to help out with their mysterious pilot, designated only as "JS-1." However, it seems that the girls needed to talk. Ryusuke, who is standing beside her, has similar intentions.

The animosity only grows as Scarlet moves closer to her sister, "Have you come to belittle me again after all these years, you egotistical bitch?! To laugh at my face and brag about being the better pilot?! Well, you can go fuck yourself cause I don't want to hear shit coming from you! I made a life and a name for myself as a damn good pilot! You think I'm going to let someone like you fuck that up?!"

Erisia stares up at her twin, who she finds a head taller than her. She continues to say nothing as Scarlet continues, "Looks like our roles are reversed, huh? How does it feel being on the short end of the stick for once, little Miss 'Perfect'? That's what they all called you. That was all they ever believed you are! It made me sick just watching you soak up all that fucking bullshit! You considered everything else as trash, including me! All I ever wanted was a sister and you threw me away! Why the fuck would you even do that?!"

Eri bows her head in shame and guilt. She couldn't look her younger sibling in the eye anymore. It angers Scarlet all the more.

"Why aren't you saying anything?!" she growls.

Erisia does not respond. It takes a second for Scarlet to calm down enough to notice. Eri is taking everything Scarlet is throwing at her and accepting it. Scarlet blinks at this revelation.

"You… You've changed, haven't you?" Scarlet asks calmly.

She gives a small half-smile, "Yeah...a lot can happen in twelve years: traveling the world, meeting our parents…"

"Parents?" Scarlet questions with mild surprise, "We have...parents?"

"Well, there is a requirement of genetic templates to create clones, and it turns out using the genes of both a man and woman produces a more stable clone,' Erisia explains.

"I see…" Scarlet ponders this over carefully, "It does make sense…so, you met them?"

"Yeah, it's part of why we called you over…" Eri begins before turning to Kenta and Christina, "Uh… Scarlet, this is our Mom and Dad…"

Scarlet stares at both Lt. Colonel Mckenzie and Captain Kenta. There is no doubt that there are genetic similarities between her and them. Part of her is actually happy that she isn't just a generic clone. Her wish for a semblance of a family is now obtainable and more. However, the other part of her fears the possibility of another repeat of the past - of being thrown away again. She wavers a moment.

"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm not sure how I feel about this…" Scarlet confesses, a bit emotionally overwhelmed.

Christina nods, "I understand that it's a lot to take in. If you don't want to be apart of it, we-"

"No!" Scarlet yells, surprising everyone, "I mean, it's… It's not like that. I just didn't expect this…"

She feels a small smile creep on her face, "I guess… He was right, after all…"

Erisia frowns, "Who was right?"

"It's nothing, " Scarlet hangs her head, "Just something a little boy told me a long time ago. He was homesick a lot."

This gets the officers' attention as Eri asks, "What little boy?!"

Scarlet frowns, "You really didn't bother to remember the other kids in the program, didn't you?"

Eri hangs her head in shame as her twin sighed, "The little Newtype Asian boy named James. He always hid behind me when you were around. Not only did he give me my name, he was the very reason I wanted us to be sisters to begin with!"

"Scarlet, how many actual Newtypes were in the program?" Kenta asks curiously.

Scarlet frowned, "I only knew of two of them: designations JS-1 and JS-2. I felt a third one around at one point, but I never met them."

"Which one was James?" the former private detective presses further.

"JS-1. The other was an Indian boy named Jet. The only reason their designations are similar was because both of them had the same initials for their real names," Scarlet explains, "but why are you asking me this?"

Kenta pales for a hair while Christina stands up, "That would be the other reason we called you here. We need you to talk to someone who refuses to speak to us from that program. Possibly the boy you refer to as 'James.' Come with us, please"

Scarlet feels concern running through her as she follows her newfound family to the detention center. They explain how they encountered the unknown pilot and their lack of progress in his interrogation. This information only causes Scarlet to worry more, though. The last time she had seen James, he was planning on escaping.

He's changed, she notes. He's still a boy, but one that went through some hell of a lot of growing up. Dark brown hair is now blond with dark roots peeking through. His right eye now blind. Probably still growing as puberty already hit him, but he's still James.

"How long has he been here?" Scarlet asks.

"About four days now, " Christina answers, "He's cracking, but not enough to trust us with anything to help with."

"Of course not. The only thing that matters to him is going home… At least, that's what he told me it's where he's supposed to go," Scarlet gives a sad smile before turning to her parents, "I'll talk to him, but we find a way to get him where he needs to be in exchange."

"It's not my fault, sis. I'm sorry…" the boy whines out of nowhere, startling the small family.

They look around for the intended recipient of his abrupt and unexpected remark, but find him talking to the empty seat in front of him.

Kenta frowns, "I think he's starting to do more than cracking…"

Scarlet shakes her head, "No, this happens to him every so often when he's left alone long enough."

"Sorry, Sis, it's just another delay, I'll be home soon. I promise," they hear him swear, tiredly.

Scarlet frowns as she heads for the door with the intent of making sure that this is the last delay he'll ever make.

 _Here we go again,_ JS-1 sighs as the somber thought pervades his mind for the fourth time, the stark, dreary confines of the interrogation room aggravating his already dour mood. It has long since become normal for him. Well, at least he isn't chained to the table this time around.

JS-1 makes a croaking noise that he immediately regrets, fearing that it might draw unwelcome attention his way...attention that might invite a beating or worse.

"Stop being so mopey already! It's depressing!" a high pitched girly voice yells at him. JS-1 looks up to find that a three-year-old half Asian girl is sitting on the other side of the table. Stormy eyes stare down at him.

The boy sighs, "You're not the one trapped in here, Sis."

The girl pouts "And who's fault was that?! You could've been home by now!"

"It's not my fault, sis. I'm sorry…" JS-1 whines, wanting her to stop.

"Sorry?" the girl known only as Sis chides, "We don't even know you exist! The fact that this is how you see me as your big sister proves that point!"

She isn't lying. He had only once seen a picture of his older sister and father, before his mother sent him off to meet them. His father's image comes back to him only fuzzily now, but he definitely remembers his sister's face. He remembers that both of them have the same grey eyes. Otherwise, he doesn't know what they both look like right now. He can only guess at this point.

He feels guilty now, but he did what he did. He holds no regrets about taking revenge for his fallen comrades. Still, he's stuck here and nothing can fix that right now. Sure, the devil detective offered to help, but he still can't trust anyone here.

"Sorry, Sis, it's just another delay, " he promises, "I'll be home soon. I promise."

The girl frowns in disappointment, "Are you gonna keep it this time? We're not gonna wait forever, you know."

The teen wants to say something, but the words die in his throat. He doesn't know. He wants to tell her it'd be okay, but he has no way of knowing what might happen in five minutes, let alone farther into the future. For all he knows, he might be stuck here for a long time.

Hope wavers in his chest as his sister's three-year-old state vanishes. He lays his head in his arms. She isn't real...that much, he knows Even so, the fact he saw her means that he is starting to go crazy again. He hasn't been this bad since his escape from the Titans.

 _Who the hell is coming to talk to him again?_

JS-1 hears the door open finally, but doesn't bother looking up. He feels too tired right now to face interrogators in the eye.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" a voice he hasn't heard in years asks. His head bolts up to see a more mature version of the closest thing he'd had to a sister during those days smiling at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it James?"

The young teen wastes no time getting up to tackle her into a hug, "Scarlet!"

Scarlet smiles as she hugs him back, "I'm glad you're okay. I got worried after you left…"

She pauses as she see James' clouded right eye, "Your eye…"

"Oh, that…" James grins, sheepishly, "An explosion hit the cockpit when I was escaping and a piece of shrapnel got me. I can't see out of it anymore, but that hasn't stopped me yet! They really mean it when they say 'wear your helmet at all times!'"

"It's just…" Scarlet frowns a little before she gives him a small smile, "Let's sit down, so you can tell me what all you've been up to after that."

As James happily chats with the young woman, Kenta watches from the other side of the one-way mirror. He almost can't believe that this is the same kid he talked with a couple of days ago. Still, he smiles knowing that James, as he's called now, has finally opened up.

Maybe, he can get a clue to help find James' family. JS-1….James... isn't enough to go off of. Anything this kid knows might be helpful; just knowing his surname is big.

"James, what happened to finding your family? Wasn't going home the main reason you escaped?" Scarlet asks curiously after awhile.

James grows quiet as a painful expression contorts his face, "I did go home, but they weren't there anymore…"

This definitely catches Kenta's attention. He assumes James either doesn't know where home is or never made it home. He never thought about the possibility of him going to an empty home.

Scarlet voices a similar thought, "What happened?"

James gives her a sad smile, "I went to Side 6, found the address in Libot, and went there like I was supposed to. I knocked on the door and waited an hour, but no one was there. Found out from this creepy lady who lived in the area that the family there moved out about five years back. That was about a couple of months ago…"

"What have you been doing for two months, then?" Scarlet wonders, "Surely, you didn't stop looking."

"Of course, I didn't! I was heading to Side 3 because they moved there, but got… sidetracked… and now I'm here! I need to get outta here, Scarlet!" He pleaded, "Can you help me out?"

Kenta freezes as his mind begins to race. The more he slowly puts the pieces of James' mystery family together, the more sense it makes. It is becoming apparent that Kenta might have a good idea who James' parents are. He is beginning to dread the having to make a phone call now.

Kenta gets distracted by what the young teen says next and, honestly, it impresses him.

"I don't really care how I get out, " James admits sadly, "They can have the Gundam for all I care! I just… I wanna go home, Scarlet. I'm tired of making detours…"

Suddenly the door opens as Ryusuke bursts in and asks, "Is your dad's name, Jack Spencer?"

"What the hell!?" James nearly screams and jumps out of his seat in shock and dismay. He hates being caught off-guard, and he didn't see the devil detective coming. Indeed, his hair stands on end as his brain tries to process a logical explanation to the captain's being here.

"James, calm down, he's my dad. He and my mom are the reason I know you're here. I came willingly," Scarlet says calmly, soothingly, "We want to help you, I promise."

James blinks. He could see the resemblance, but it's clear the rest of Scarlet's looks come from her mother, the redhead Lt. Colonel who was nice to him. He trusts both Scarlet and her mom and being past the point of exhaustion, resolves that he can trust the devil detective, who is, after all, Scarlet's dad. Something else is missing in that equation, but he'll figure it out later.

"I know I have a dad named Jack and a big sister named Penelope," James began, staring at the retired captain, "They both have grey eyes, and my name is James Elijah Spencer. Hope that answers all your questions cause that all I'm giving you."

"It helps more than you can possibly realize," he replies before a long sigh escapes him, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make that phone call..."

* * *

Jack returns to the garage before midnight, just as Penny is finishing closing up the shop for the night.

"Penny," Jack tells his daughter, "Tomorrow, we're going to start prepping for that trip to Luna 2 we've been planning."

"All right!" Penny enthuses, eyes going wide, "About time we got some action!"

"We could be out for a while this time," Jack says, "I...eh?"

Jack's phone vibrates at his hip. He answers it, "Spencer here."

A familiar voice speaks into Jack's ear, "This is Kenta. Jack, I got something important to tell you."

"Same here," Jack says, "About that attack on the Horizont Spaceways flight…"

"We'll discuss that later," Kenta tells him, "I've got something more important to tell you…"

"All right, so what is it?" Jack asks, noting the grim tone of Kenta's voice.

"Look up JS-1 in the Titans' roster file," Kenta tells him.

"This have anything to do with that Sleeves attack?" Jack wonders.

"Not really, but it's something you'll find interesting to say the least," Ryusuke tells him, "and be sure to close your office door, Jack."

Jack immediately knows this is going to mess with his emotional control... the only time Kenta tells him to do something like that...and addresses him by his first name... is when he knows it'll make the former Zeon colonel lose his legendary composure.

Once at his desk, turned on his laptop and inserted the drive which contains the entire Titan's Roster. "Judging by the sound of the designation, they're a Cyber-Newtype."

"Not exactly," Kenta replies, in a tone closest to nervousness Jack has ever heard in the man's voice.

This makes the colonel curious, "So they're a genuine Newtype?"

"You'll see when you bring up the file picture," he insists, cryptically.

After about a minute, the man finds the file on JS-1... and now that he actually takes the time to examine the kid's face, he feels rage boiling over for the first time in years.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," Jack tells his friend before hanging up.

He puts his phone down and stands up, running his fingers, both organic and artificial, through his hair before shouting, "GODDAMMIT!"

He punches the padded section of the wall with his prosthetic as he continues his tirade, "IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU THIS WHOLE TIME! HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MISS THIS?!"

He lets out one last primal shout before collapsing into his chair, his prosthetic covering his face... How did he not realize who this kid was when he looked at his file the first time?

Despite the door being closed, and his office being soundproofed, his outbursts still exert an unsettling effect on the others in the facility.

Cindy is actually hiding behind Gale as they came out to see what's wrong... during the time she has lived with the Spencer family, she's never actually experienced the Jack's anger until now... and it terrifies her.

Penny, who was working when she felt the rage hit her, looks towards the office door. She only averts her gaze when she spots Cindy cowering behind Gale.

Being the one who picked her up a couple of years back, Cindy has always been an extremely sensitive empathetic Newtype. She is, at the same time, like a doll that mimics other people's emotions. Despite the fact that Cindy can now tell which emotions actually belong to her, Jack's anger must be overwhelming her.

"You doing alright, Cindy?" Penny asked, concerned.

"I...No, I'm... I'm scared," she manages meekly, "He... He's really angry…"

That is all Penny needs to knock on the door, "Attention, Colonel Dad! Your Daughter requests you calm down as you're scaring our highly empathic killer housemaid!"

"I second that, sir," Violet affirms as she nears the door, "Cindy is a fellow member of this house and very much a sister to me. I don't like to see her upset."

Jack opens the door and waves them inside. He apologizes to Cindy before grabbing his bottle of Wild Turkey and pours himself a glass before spinning the laptop around and asking, "Remind you of anyone?"

On the screen was a partly Asian boy no older than four years old with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. He doesn't look too happy in the photo. Yet everyone, silently, thinks that he definitely looks familiar. Penny and Cindy both glance at the photo sitting on Jack's desk of Penny's mother.

"All I see a kid that doesn't want to be there." Gale admits.

"I have an idea, but more information is needed for confirmation." Violet simply states, "Still, I can say that I agree with Gale's assessment… for once."

"Straightforward as ever, Violet…" Gale sighs.

Cindy hesitates before saying, "He almost looks like yo-"

Jack's phone vibrates as it lights up with a name that causes Jack to answer it quickly, "Hell-"

"Jack Hansen Spencer, have you been hiding another grandchild from me again?!" hollers an older woman with familiar silver grey eyes that appeared on Jack's TV screen, "I figured you'd learned from the first time!"

"It wasn't my fault this time, Mom." Jack groans, "Cima never mentioned anything about a second kid…"

"I hear a 'but' in there, Jack," his mother chides, "You're a man now, so talk to me like one!"

Jack gives a heavy sigh as he chooses his words carefully. Even being close to fifty, there were still things that you don't talk about with your own mother. This is getting close to being one of them.

"...I won't deny that there was a high possibility she... didn't leave alone…"

It is his mother's turn to sigh now, "Poor thing was always scared of something, wasn't she? Still, I don't think she intended to leave you both in the dark about this."

"If that's the case, something went wrong," Jack agrees.

"Indeed," Grandma Spencer adjusts her glasses before she actually notice her son isn't alone.

"Oh, goodness! Hello there! Jack, you should just told me that I was interrupting something! I would've understand! Hello, Sweet Pea!"

Penny smiles at the name, "Hey, Grandma! How's the weather down there?"

"Sunny for now. We're expecting rain for the next couple of days," the old woman laughs happily before continuing, "Introductions, please! My son hardly talks to me anymore, so I've never met the other residents!"

Jack rolls his eyes as Penny giggles, "Well, to my left we have our housemaid, Cindy."

"Hello!" Cindy greets warmly.

"Next to her is one of our mechanics, Gale… He's okay."

"Hey!" Gale pipes up.

"And finally our accountant and recordkeeper, Violet." Penny finishes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Violet smiles.

"Oh, you're all such wonderful people! Please, call me Barbara!"she insists,"I'll let you all go, then. And Jack?"

The former Colonel gives her his undivided attention as she said, "I'll be expecting a visit soon, young man! ALL grandkids included! I also want to talk about Christmas!"

The minute the screen goes blank, Jack reaches for the bottle to pour himself another glass before turning to Penny, "Looks like the plan's already changed. We're moving up the timetable for our visit to Luna 2 and Side 7. I was planning to be there on Saturday; it's going to be tomorrow night. You're coming too, Gale."

Penny sighs now, "Not surprised by that. I'm more surprised that you sent her that picture and that I, potentially, have a little brother!"

"Seriously!? Is that what got you so angry, Colonel?" Gale asks, surprised.

"Unfortunately," Jack admits, downing his second glass, "The Titans wouldn't keep any information that would link the test subjects to their real identities - not even a date of birth. They would erase these kids from existence, which makes it easier to control them. They were then subjected to a treatment process to make them into Cyber-Newtypes like our Violet. A part of this process involved implanting memories from confirmed Newtypes, which would often overwrite who they originally were, so they'd forget who they were before. The inadvertent memory wipe on these kids was seen as an added bonus, so no reason to do anything differently. I only know of one who came out of it all with her memories still intact... But all things considered, the program was piss poor all around. This boy, however, is different. He's one of the few actual Newtypes who were in the program. As a result, He still has his identity despite it being erased from the official records."

"So, who brought your attention to this JS-1 kid?" Penny inquires, trying to connect the dots to confirm this herself.

"An old friend of mine in the Federation informed me that they picked up a kid called JS-1," Jack explained, "And the kid's trying to go home."

At that moment, their attention is suddenly stolen by a TV broadcast, as they hear UCN reporter Ken Cheng delivering a grim report about another attack on a civilian passenger craft and the grisly murder of a Feddie politician at Side 2...

"...and it looks like we'd better get him home ASAP," Jack exhales.

"So now what we do?" Kenta asks after his second phone call with Jack, "Cause we're not leaving that kid in a cell till Jack comes."

"And we're all going to be at Luna 2 tomorrow," Christina addes, "the girls included."

"And there's no way we can take him with us," he concludes with a sigh, "Someone's gotta watch him."

"I CAN WATCH HIM!" a familiar voice blasts from Christina's computer as Recoco appears on screen, "I mean, I volunteer!"

Christina raises a brow, "Are you absolutely positive about this, Ensign? Despite his looks, he is a child soldier."

"I got it! It'll be fine!" Recoco assures.

"Then, I'll make the arrangements for you to pick him up at 19:00 tonight" Christina concludes.

"Yes, Ms. Mckenzie!" Recoco signs off.

Kenta stares at his girlfriend, "How bad does she have it?"

"She's smitten by him, " Christina sighs, "I sure hope she keeps her head straight!"

* * *

The week continues. Monday comes, then Tuesday, and then Wednesday. Cadet Jolie Minh applies herself to practicing her skills with an assortment of firearms with an obsessive fervor, constantly on the shooting range from before the call to awaken to just before lights out. Her companion, Cadet Jonah Michaels, has no corresponding obsession, but where Jolie goes, he goes. What she does, he does.

"I don't get it," Jolie complains during a break, quaffing an entire glass of iced tea in a single gulp as befits her notorious impatience, "I see the target clearly, and my hand is as steady as it gets! I've gotten better, but I'm still not anywhere near as good as Alexandria and…!"

"Slow down," Jonah says, referring both to the immediate and the general, "I can't begin to guess how, but as an artist, I know that Alexandria getting that good with guns isn't something that happened just because of 'talent.' She has talent, but getting as good as she is involved lots of previous training and experience."

"How can that be?!" Jolie demands, "She's a recruit just like you and me! If she's so 'experienced' already, why is she even in this training program and not already an officer like 'Thena?!"

"That, I don't know," Jonah replies honestly, "but as for you, I think you need to use different eyes."

"Different eyes?" Jolie echoes, confused, "Wh…?"

"Edgar Degas is one of my all-time favorite artists," Jonah explains, "Here...let me show you some of his work."

Jonah uses an electronic tablet he has at hand to show Jolie images of a dozen of Degas' paintings

"Pretty good," Jolie says, "but...so?"

"Did you know that Degas suffered from a series of retinal disorders that made him effectively blind?" Jonah asks.

"Blind?" Jolie's eyes widen, "NO WAY! You're saying a blind man painted these?!"

Jonah smiles, "He saw through different eyes."

Jolie gives Jonah a skeptical look.

"How do you think I painted those portraits of you before we met, when I was way out in the Solar System?" Jonah asks rhetorically, "I'd never seen you with my eyes at that point, but I painted accurate pictures of you."

"Well…" Jolie begins.

Cadet Maria O'Rourke rushes in, breathless, "Hey! What are you guys doing here?! Big news! IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN!"

"What's happened again?" Jonah asks, suddenly worried.

"It's all over the TV news! C'mon!" Maria urges.

Jolie and Jonah hurriedly follow Maria to the commons area, where the recruits are gathered around a TV monitor tuned to UCN.

"...second attack in less than a week's time," UCN reporter Ken Cheng says grimly, "Harmony Spaceways Flight 971 was completely incinerated by a squad of rogue mobile suits. No survivors among the 558 souls aboard the spacecraft, which was _en rout_ from Side 2 to Earth. A group claiming to represent 'Sleeves' has claimed responsibility."

Jolie and Jonah exchange horrified glances.

"President Terrence Torrance is scheduled to make a statement within the hour," Cheng reports.

* * *

At that moment, a package arrives at General Bright Noa's office. His security staff probes the package, standard procedure before delivering mail and packages to the general.

"This package is suspect," one the officers says, "Open it cautiously."

His counterpart complies, opening the package with extreme caution. Peering in at the container's innards, both officers are quickly overwhelmed by nausea and, despite their training and experience, barely contain themselves from vomiting with disgust.

Inside the box: the recently severed head of Earth Federation Assembly Member Robin Mercer, a friend and supporter of General Noa who had represented District 19 of Side 2 since UC 0080 and had oddly and uncharacteristically not reported for work at his office since Monday. After the Gryps Conflict and First Neo Zeon War, Mercer had been one of the most stalwart supporters of repatriating Federation military personnel, including Bright Noa, who had joined with the AEUG during the UC 0080s. Known for being fair-minded and moderate, Mercer was one of the better-liked Earth Federation politicians, who had recently expressed interest in possibly running for Federation President in UC 0100, on a platform of policy reform geared towards rapprochement with the space colonies.

Attached to the severed head is a note, written in blood, ostensibly from the brutally murdered assemblyman:

"THUS TO EARTHIST TYRANTS! COURTESY OF SLEEVES!"

* * *

Admiral Manron Blackhead slams his fist angrily on the conference table, red of face as he thunders "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! These Sleeves terrorists are making fools of us! All I need is for the President to give me authorization, and I'll lead the EFSF Armada out to Side 3 and exterminate those Zeke pigs once and for all!"

General Bright Noa steeples his fingers, his expression dark, but his voice calm as he says, "No. We must have more information before we can take action."

Blackhead glowers at Bright through narrowed eyes, "Your inaction is drawing howls of displeasure from the citizenry, and rightly so! The citizens of the Earth Federation need to know that their armed forces stand ready to protect them against Zeonic terrorism, and to bring Zekes to justice when they have harmed Federation citizens and assets! Your lack of action, General, is raising questions of cowardice, if not treason! If you're afraid to act, then believe me, there are others in the High Command who aren't paralyzed by fear as you are!"

Bright swallows his rage before responding with marshalled serenity, "First, Admiral Blackhead, we haven't verified if the attackers are indeed 'Zekes.' Second, mounting an armed offensive against a militarily defanged and harmless Side 3 will hardly help secure our citizenry."

"Hmph," Blackhead answers, "I'll be sure to carve that statement as the epitaph on the gravestone of your career as a Federation officer, Noa."

Blackhead leaves the room as Bright sighs deeply, knowing deep down that perhaps Blackhead has a point.

* * *

At Spencer Auto in Zum City, Col. Jack Spencer, his daughter Penelope, and the stalwart former Captain Gale Turner are busily packing for their imminent departure to Luna 2.

An expected visitor arrives at the auto garage; a handsome young man turned eighteen recently, known by several different names, but born Hathaway Noa, son of Bright and Mirai.

Hathaway's fingers dance admiringly on the gleaming, scarlet red body of a vintage 1991 Lamborghini sports car in the garage, whistling admiringly, "Sexy set of wheels."

"Keep your fingers off that," Jack growls gruffly, "it belongs to a customer who will be picking it up next week."

"Seems like a waste of a fine machine to drive it back and forth inside this tube," Hathaway remarks, indicating the cylindrical colony around them, "a fine ride like this should be tearing up the highways down on Earth."

"Enough chit chat," Jack says, "I haven't got the time to waste. Show me your copy."

Hathaway extracts two stapled sheets of paper from a manila envelope and hands the documents to Jack. In this age of digital documents, primitive paper remains the most secure way of exchanging information undetected.

Jack gravely reads the copy that Hathaway has written for the next edition of the _Cislunar Free Media_ :

"These acts of terrorism are reprehensible and universally condemned, but one must ask...why do people become 'terrorists'...or freedom fighters? Surely, they are not born with such an impulse. The timid and harmless rabbit only becomes a killer when the snake corners it and its young in their burrow, and every rabbit that follows its instincts for survival knows that the best way...the only way to deal with a snake is to crush its head."

Jack reads, nodding with what Hathaway proudly takes to be approval.

"Yeah," Jack finally says, "This is going into the shredder, and you're going back to Shanghai."

"But…" Hathaway opens his mouth to protest.

"But NOTHING," Jack thunders, pointing at him, "You don't write volatile shit like this when the situation is already a powder keg waiting to blow! I'm assigning Dory to take over as head of the Zum bureau."

"Wait," Hathaway says, "Dory's good, but I…"

"You what?" Jack cuts him off, "You think your personal vendetta matters more than the future of the people of this and other space colonies?! Grow the fuck up, kid!"

Hathaway falls silent, his face turning red with humiliation and outrage.

Jack calms down and says, "I lied. This Lambo's owner died a while back. Nobody's come to claim it. If you want, take it down to Shanghai with you. I understand you have a thing for reds."

* * *

Approaching 23:00, Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie calls it a day, but as she prepares to depart for home, Christina notices that the lights are still on in Captain Athena Ibaz's office.

Christina peers into the office door, "You're still here?"

Athena, who is on the computer, says, "Working on something."

Christina peers at Athena's desk and notices a clipped stack of documents with the title page, "Munzo Recovery Operation."

"Mind if I have a look?" Christina asks.

"Hoped you would," Athena answers, even as she types away furiously at some other document on her computer.

Christina flips through the "Munzo Recovery Operation"documents...extensive and ambitious plans for securing and rehabilitating the Side 3 space colonies, a complex, multifaceted plan for restoring Side 3's infrastructure, economy, and government apparatus with the ultimate goal of rendering Side 3 a functional, self-sufficient space colony again and for the Federation Forces to end its nearly decade-long military occupation of the colony. The plan includes details for reaching out to the private sector and various other organizations to minimize costs for the Earth Federation.

Glancing up from the document in her hands, Christina notices the document Athena is typing on the computer, titled "OSS Offensive Operation."

Christina smiles, "Been keeping yourself busy, eh?"

"It's not like I've been assigned many combat operations lately," Athena answers dryly.

"That could change soon," Christina says in response.

"I heard the President's address tonight," Athena concurs, "While I'd like to think he isn't crazy enough to mobilize us against Side 3, I know Admiral Blackhead is practically frothing at the mouth anticipating it. Side 3 isn't where the threat is at."

Christina nods, and tells Athena, "Hey...you'd better get home and get a few hours of sleep before we ship off to Luna 2 for the cadets' MS training exercise."

"You go first, ma'am," Athena tells her commanding officer, "I have a few details I want to finish here first."

* * *

Several hours later, at 04:00, the cadets under the supervision of Captain Ryusuke Kenta board the EFSS _Nelson_ , one of the oldest ships still in active service with the EFSS, but due to be retired at the turn of the century, just a little more than a year into the future.

The _Nelson_ -class space cruiser was the line that never was. Derived from the _Salamis_ -class space cruisers, the _Nelson_ -class would have fulfilled the function of comparatively low-cost mobile suit carriers when it became apparent that the _Pegasus_ -class carriers would be too costly to deploy in mass numbers.

Only three production line _Nelson_ -class ships, including the prototype, were finished and posted before the end of the One Year War brought an abrupt end to the line. The _Nelson_ has since been relegated to support and training missions.

As they wait to board, Jonah cannot help but notice Jolie staring wistfully at the hulk of the _Nelson_.

"You OK?" Jonah asks.

"Yeah," Jolie replies, "It's just that...this ship...I've been aboard it before. This is the _Nelson_ , isn't it?"

"That's what the hull markings say," Jonah answers with a smile.

"Then this is it!" Jolie declares cheerfully, "This is the ship that my family visited when it came to Quebec Colony back in 0090!"

Jonah waits patiently for Jolie to elaborate.

"I remember…" Jolie begins.

* * *

 _July, UC 0090. Eighteen months after the end of the First Neo Zeon War, the Earth Sphere breathes a collective sigh of relief as peace appears to regain the upper hand...at least for now. No one can be certain how long it will last._

 _The EFSF_ Nelson _, in only its eleventh year of service, but already somewhat antiquated due to the rapid advancements in space warship technology, is presently docked for the week at Quebec Colony at Side 5 as its crew takes shore leave. For one weekend only, the_ Nelson _is open to the public for viewing, with a reduced admission fee to Earth Federation Forces active service members, veterans, and their families, with children under ten being allowed to visit for free._

 _1Lt. Dominic Minh of the Quebec Civil Defense Forces takes his wife Sophie and their two children, Jean-Michel (age ten) and Jolie (age seven) to visit the_ Nelson. _Between the siblings, the sister is much more the military weaponry enthusiast._

 _Jolie, dressed in a purple jumper skirt, quickly climbs into one of the_ Nelson's _gunnery blisters, seating herself at the deactivated, disarmed beam cannon._

 _Jolie peers through the gunsight, her tiny finger on the trigger, imagining herself skeeting down Zakus, Rick Doms, and Gelgoogs, "Eat beam fire, you Zekes! ZAP! ZAP!"_

" _Jolie," her attractive mother reproves, "stop that and get out of there. You could break it!"_

 _Her husband, Dominic laughs at the comment, "If a tiny seven-year-old girl can break Federation weaponry with her bare hands, we're in big trouble!"_

" _This ship was named after some British admiral from the 1700s of the old calendar, Dad?" asks Jean Michel, a history enthusiast, checking out an information panel along the wall._

" _Yeah," Dominic answers his son, "Horatio Nelson was one of the best commanders in the British fleet. Without his leadership, Napoleon might not have been defeated."_

 _Somehow, Jolie manages to swing the beam cannon by leaning her entire 18 kg of body weight onto it. Her family gapes in panic as they begin to realize that Jolie is about to topple the weapon._

 _The gun's and girl's topple are arrested, however, by the intervention of the arms of a young crewman. The name tag on his uniform jacket indicates him as "Ensign L. Kobayashi."_

" _You need to be more careful, kid," Ensign Kobayashi says in a friendly tone, "These weapons aren't toys. I should know...I lived on a warship like this for months back when I was your age."_

 _Ensign Kobayashi rights the beam cannon and takes Jolie back to her family._

" _Sorry about that," Dominic apologizes._

" _Don't worry about it," Ensign Kobayashi says, "but it's best to appreciate these things from a safe distance."_

" _You're right," Dominic says, "Jolie...you OK?"_

" _Yeah," Jolie says, "Sorry that I almost wrecked your gun."_

" _Not likely," Ensign Kobayashi smiles, "our weapons are built to take more damage than you can dish out. Here."_

 _Ensign Kobayashi extracts a pair of brass Earth Federation Forces logo emblems and hands one each to Jean-Michel and Jolie, "Enjoy the rest of your visit."_

 _Jolie stares proudly at the Federation Forces logo emblem in her tiny hand, and takes another look at the beam cannon._

 _Someday..._

* * *

Jolie's mood becomes uncharacteristically somber and quiet until the sight of mobile suits being transported into the launch bays of the _Nelson_ arouses her natural ebullience.

"Hey, look at that!" she points towards the massive armored forms being loaded onto the battle cruiser.

Jonah joined the Earth Federation Forces not knowing different mobile suit types from brands of athletic shoes, but several weeks of intense training under Kenta have mitigated his ignorance. Though far from an expert at identifying different models of mobile suits, Jonah knows enough now to recognize two of the war machines presently being docked aboard the _Nelson_ as an RX-78NT-1 Gundam Alex (the name of which amuses Jonah), an ORX-005 CS Custom Gaplant painted a pinkish purple hue (that Jolie doesn't care for), an RGX-95C ReZEL Commander Type painted in regulation colors and outfitted with a Zeta-style beam rifle, and an MSZ-006A1 Zeta-Plus.

Jolie, far more of a mecha enthusiast than Jonah, folds her hands in front of her lips in absolute delight at the sight of the mobile suits.

Captain Kenta presently appears at the boarding portal of the _Nelson_ , declaring, "All right. All of you get aboard and proceed immediately to the ship's conference room on Deck 6."

"Yes, sir," the cadets salute.

"In there!" Kenta barks at them.

The cadets sprint aboard the ship and follow illuminated arrows to the conference room on Deck 6.

Grace suddenly pipes up, "Sir! Request permission to visit the head!"

"All right," Kenta assents, "but hurry your ass up and don't dawdle in there!"

"Yes, sir!" Grace replies, opening the door to the women's head.

Grace proceeds to the nearest sink, standing in front of the mirror and opening her mouth and examining her tongue, which has tasted...weird since the previous evening. It isn't green or any other strange color…''

 _Red_ , comes the impression, as Grace swivels her head to the right and finds standing at the adjacent sink, looking pale and slightly sickly, the redhead she encountered briefly not long ago. "Erisia," Grace remembers her being called.

"What do you want?" Eri glares at Grace, who called her 'perfect.' Grace looks different from when Eri first met her, though. Her raven hair isn't tied up and she has her uniform top hanging around the belt, revealing a black sleeveless top and arm guards. Her lips bear the expression of a cheshire cat smile. Though her dad filled her in on Grace's condition and her history, Eri is still wary of her.

"I just want to talk. You fascinate me to the point of curiosity." Grace replies simply.

"No, thanks. Please, move" Eri frowns, trying to go around her, only to be blocked by Grace.

"No," she replies, "It won't take long and I promise not to bother you for a while, I swear on my soul."

"Why do you care?" Eri asks harshly.

Grace blinks as if confused, "Is there a reason not to?"

Eri stares at her, wondering just what the hell makes her so interesting to begin with. It's a little odd for someone so broken to act like this. Eri can't tell what Grace is even thinking right now.

Yet Eri feels compelled to learn one thing.

"Why did you come back?" Erisia asks without thinking, "Why not go back to sleep?"

Grace seems surprised about the question, but she doesn't seem put off by it. In fact, she actually considers the question.

Then Grace frowns, "I didn't want to come back… I wanted to remain dead. But, he was persistent in making me come back, so here I am. Alexandria doesn't get that choice, either."

Then Grace smiles, causing Eri to shiver a little as she adds, "Honestly? It's far too late for him or anyone else to help me. I never wanted to be redeemed cause that's all I ever did. It was never enough either way. I'm still gonna be a filthy sinner and no amount of holy water will change that! I just learn to accept it."

Eri merely stares at her, emotions conflicting at Grace's resolve. She really is broken - broken beyond repair. Notwithstanding, Grace accepts being broken and just wants to be left alone. But she's broken for the wrong reason. Maybe that's what bugs her about Grace - what's screaming for help.

Now she stares at Eri, "So, what sins are you running away from?"

At that moment, one of the latrine stalls open and a second redhead, identical to Erisia, only taller, steps out, staring curiously at Grace.

Erisia indicates her sister with a casual flick of her head, "I guess her being present will make the explanation easier."

"Hello Erisia," the taller redhead says to the shorter, "Making a new friend?"

"I'd hardly call her a 'friends,'" she grumbles, "but your being here makes it easier to explain my disdain for the word perfect."

Grace tilts her head in a curious notion as she glances between the redhead girls. They are quite similar, and yet different

"Big sister?" Grace surmises.

Scarlet tries her best to suppress the giggles when she notices the way Erisia's expression has gone blank. "That's just God's way of punishing me for being a rotten bitch back then I suppose," she sighs.

"We're actually identical twins," Scarlet replies with a giggle.

Grace frowns in confusion, "I don't see it."

"We're bioengineered clones," Erisia tells her, "I was deemed the superior product and given extra growth accelerants until I was physically 16... As a result, my growth has been stunted."

"We were created using genetic samples Ryusuke Kenta and Christina Mackenzie," Scarlet adds, "for this reason, they are biologically our parents."

Grace took a minute to process the information before smiling in pure happiness, "Two perfect spawns~!"

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT," Erisia screams as she pins Grace to the wall with surprising strength,"I TREATED EVERYONE LIKE GARBAGE AND BEHAVED LIKE A ROTTEN BITCH BECAUSE I'D BEEN MADE TO BELIEVE I WAS SUPERIOR! THAT I WAS PERFECT!"

"Of course I don't understand!" Grace growls, "That's the complete opposite situation I went through!"

"That's the one similarity between you," Scarlet points out, "You both bought into someone else's bull shit."

Grace gives a cruel laugh, "Hardly bullshit when you've live enough of it to believe it!"

Suddenly the taller of the two takes hold of Grace, a look in her eyes that burns with an all-consuming fire, and slams her against the wall. "THEN GROW A PAIR OF TITS, AND PROVE THEM WRONG!"

To accentuate the point, Erisia throws the door of the women's head open and the trio steps out into the corridor, where Kenta is waiting.

Grace merely shakes her head and gives her a sad smile as she files into the passageway, "Why? I already killed the person that made me like this. I only proved his point in the end, anyway. Why bother fixing that?"

"You're being a fool," Kenta says as he walks beside them, "I thought I told you that everything he ever said was a lie."

Grace's smile disappears, "You believed that was me? I merely gave her my memories that time. I didn't wake up till later that day."

Little lies. She was there, but not fully. Though, she had thought he had made up to get Alex to tell the tales. But if it is true, then her resolve when she killed that monster meant nothing. If she is truthful, she'd say she has no reason to live without those lies; that they were apart of her being.

Grace Sullen wouldn't exist without those lies.

Grace starts laughing now. A tragic, bitter, ironic laugh that carries pain in its sound.

Startled and very much concerned, the twins let go of her. They don't know what to make of this unsettling scene. They just know she is really badly broken.

"If that is the case," Grace gets out between laughs, "then what am I without those lies?"

"A victim," is Kenta's sole reply.

The laughter slows to a sigh as she stares at him, soberly, "How's that any different than telling me I kill a monster for nothing? You think I'll ever forgive myself for doing that much for myself?"

"It was gonna happen either way," he tells her, "If you didn't, I would have."

"You're free from what he said and did," he says before a more devilish grin appears, "and the only reason you don't accept it is because it's uncharted territory."

"So says the devil that dragged me back to a church for the first time in fifteen years, which I will get back at you for." Grace mutters, unamused,"Unfortunately, I'm kinda stuck with the other one right now. I have no choice but to get dragged along by her at this point. Anything has to be more fun than memorizing a Bible when you can't really read!"

Grace yawns as she walks away, "Gotta get back before she wakes up. Doesn't know I woke up early. Later."

"Wait," Eri calls out, causing Grace to look back, "Why do you call me 'perfect?' At least answer me that."

Grace blinks at Eri, contemplating whether to share her opinion or leave her hanging. She's tired, though. Besides, she'll most likely bug Alexandria about it. She doesn't need more trouble.

"It's not just you, ya know, " Grace begins in a distant tone, surprising the three, "Your sister, mother, and father…all four of you are the most cute-as-fuck, perfectly normal family."

"That's it?!" Eri asks, confused.

"Well, the closest thing I had to a mother was Sister Margaret. So, yes, that's it." Grace admits, before continuing down the hall, "Just a normal little family…"

"You have strange definition of the word normal," Ryusuke says as she passes him.

"Well, nobody's perfect," she says with a smile, "So, you're perfectly normal to me."

The image of the black demon returns as he says, "I haven't been normal since my family died in January of 0079."

Grace pauses again before continuing with a sigh. The words leave her lips before she can stop herself.

"Psalm 71:20-21."

Both surprise and mild shock hit him, causing the black demon to dissipate. He turns watching the girl he'd try to save walk back to the conference room. He is unable to discern if she is actually being sympathetic or carries an ulterior motive. He doubts the latter as she sounds sincere about the verse.

It is a small miracle coming from such a lost black sheep.

A small smile graces his lips before he responds, "Matthew 5:4!"

Grace pauses at the corner, recalling the verse. She feels her anger rise as tears welled in her eyes before continuing on. She doesn't have time to deal with this.

"Way to kill the mood," she mutters angrily before hitting the wall as she passes through the ship.

* * *

Captain Faith "Skoo" Koo, aboard her RGZ-95C ReZEL Commander (Defenser A Type), welcomes a second, standard RGZ-95C ReZEL Commander (standard type) pulling into formation with her squad.

"1Lt. Maruya," Captain Koo announces to her adjutant, 1Lt. Rika Maruya, who is piloting a third, standard ReZEL, "this is Captain Athena Ibaz of Centurion Team. She will be assisting us with active support as we escort the _Nelson_ to Luna 2 in lieu of 2Lt. Scarlet, who is on family-related leave."

"Captain Ibaz," Rika acknowledges, "You're the one who recovered the Centurion Gundam, aren't you? The one who made monkeys out of the ZTF like a year or two ago?"

"So it's said," Athena replies, her coy tone belying the terse reply.

Skoo notices that Athena's mobile suit is outfitted with an extra suite of sensors and recording devices, nonstandard for a combat-oriented ReZEL Commander unit, "Planning to do a little birdwatching, Captain Ibaz?"

Athena explains, "I requested 1Lt. Duran to equip my unit with extra surveillance gear. No telling whom or what we might run into out there, but I want to make sure High Command and the Intel Corps get a good view of whatever it is."

 _This one definitely thinks ahead_ , Skoo reflects.

* * *

The cadets are assembled in one of the larger conference rooms aboard the _Nelson_ , as the ship lacks a lounge area large enough to accommodate them for the two-hour duration of the journey from Side 7 to Luna 2.

The cadets all notice the presence of four vending machines in the conference room, stocked with nearly every snack item available. Such machines are not uncommon on Earth Federation Forces' bases and aboard combat vessels, but usually in galley/mess areas. The cadets find it odd that the conference room is equipped with such machines.

Signs, hastily made on ordinary paper and written in black permanent marker, are taped onto the vending machines: "WELCOME CADETS. PLEASE HELP YOURSELVES. YOU WILL NEED YOUR ENERGY TODAY. ALL ITEMS ARE HALF OFF!"

Jolie eyes the items in the vending machines, "Wow...they even have...Macadamia nuts from Hawaii?! Holy shit! That stuff is supposed to be expensive!"

Jolie inserts a few coins into the vending machine. A small can of Macadamia nuts falls out of the dispensary. Jolie opens the can and distributes the nuts among her teammates even as she collects more of their pocket change and amasses multiple bags of other nuts, chips, pretzels, and chocolate bars, depositing the pile on the middle of the conference table.

"CAPTAIN IN THE ROOM!" a voice booms from outside the conference room. A yeoman junior officer enters the room before a pleasant-looking, bespectacled blonde woman in an Earth Federation Space Fleet uniform, evidently the commanding officer of the vessel, follows after him.

"Welcome aboard," the blonde, bespectacled officer says warmly, "I'm Captain Jill Angles of the EFSF _Nelson_. My orders are to transfer you cadets to Luna 2, and I assure you that we will deliver you safely to the port of call. This is not a mere personnel transport matter, however. If that were the case, all of you would have been sent to Luna 2 aboard a shuttlecraft. During this morning's journey to Luna 2, you will take part in training exercises alongside veteran members of my crew. We will be underway at precisely 05:30, so stand by, cadets."

Jolie, taking a liking to the _Nelson_ 's commanding officer, tosses her bag of pretzels recently liberated from the vending machine, "From us to you, Captain."

Jill deftly catches the incoming bag of pretzels, "Thank you, Cadet…?"

"Minh," Jolie answers.

* * *

Jolie and Jonah are led to two gun turrets located atop the forward section of the _Nelson_.

Jolie approaches the turret to which she is assigned...the very same turret she had sat in as a child eight years earlier.

An officer is present cleaning the gun. Jolie gets a familiar vibe from him, and as soon as he turns, her eyes confirm what she had already sensed.

"Hey...I know you!" Jolie says, "You're Ensign Kobayashi!"

"That's Lieutenant Junior Grade Kobayashi to you, Cadet," the officer turns to her, "Hey, wait a minute...don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I'm Jolie Minh!" Jolie answers excitedly, realizing the name might not mean anything to Kobayashi, "I came here when I was little!"

"That's right," the curly-topped lieutenant grins at the memory, "You were the kid who almost knocked this gun over...that was, damn, like ten years ago?"

"Eight," Jolie says, and then pulls Jonah over, "Jonah, this is Ensi...I mean, Lt. Kobayashi! The one I mentioned when I told you about my visit to this ship when I was a kid!"

Letz shakes hands with Jonah and says, "You two are assigned to the forward gun turrets. It's a surprise seeing you here again...as a cadet, no less! How's your family?"

Jolie's sudden silence is all Letz needs to know that it was the wrong question to ask, "I'm sorry. It's something that too many have had to go through the past twenty years. I was in the same boat, but I still have an adoptive mother living here at Side 7. I hope to visit her during our return voyage."

"Adoptive mom?" Jolie says quizzically.

Letz nods, "She's a nun at the Order of Saint Monica's Side 7 convent."

Jolie makes some connections in her head, "Wait...you...you're Sister Frau's adopted son, aren't you?!"

Letz nods again, "That's right. I was on the _White Base_ when we all evacuated during the One Year War."

"Oh, wow," Jolie says, suddenly excited, "Then you knew Amuro Ray, didn't you?!"

Letz smiles, "Who could ever forget Amuro?"

"He saved me after...after my family was killed," Jolie tells Letz, causing Jonah to shudder imperceptibly, "I…"

"Jolie," Jonah interjects, putting a hand on top of her head, "Lieutenant Kobayashi has his duties, and so do we. You can catch up with him later."

"He's right," Letz says, "First, I need to get you two familiar with these beam cannon."

* * *

At 05:30, the _Nelson_ launches from Side 7. Gravity control is switched off aboard the ship, and personnel not strapped into duty stations float in the Zero-G conditions.

" _Nelson_ presently departing Side 7," Captain Angles announces on shipwide PA, "Destination: Luna 2. ETA is 07:30."

Nearby, a mobile pod registered with United Colony News shadows the _Nelson_ , with the knowledge and permission of Captain Angles and at the personal request of no less than General Bright Noa himself.

The news pod is occupied by three men...the pilot, One Year War-veteran Vince Stringfellow, veteran war correspondent Ken Cheng, and his longtime cameraman Jacob Matthews.

"So tell me why we're chasing this Federation battlecruiser at an ungodly hour of the morning?" Jake asks, balancing his camera over his shoulder, capturing footage of the warship plying its way towards Luna 2, "I was in the middle of making the most epic hero sandwich in the history of mankind when you dragged my ass out here."

"I got word from General Bright Noa himself that if we came out here, we'd might be on to a huge scoop," Ken tells his cameraman, "Though he didn't really elaborate beyond that. He just said we should keep our eyes and ears open."

"Great," Jake remarks wryly, "You know...I think I forgot to put the Miracle Whip back in the fridge before I left."

"General Noa will buy you a whole crate of it if we capture what he's looking for," Ken answers, "and there might be a Pulitzer in it for us."

"Can't argue with that," Jake answers, continuing to record footage of the _Nelson_ , "Say...isn't that your lady's bird over there?"

Ken nods, "Skoo is flying escort for the _Nelson_ , which means this must be a big deal. They wouldn't deploy her for something routine."

"OK, now I'm worried," Jake replies, "because that means they're expecting trouble."

* * *

Two klicks away, Athena glances somewhat worriedly at the UCN news pod. It was her suggestion that persuaded General Noa to send a news crew to cover whatever might occur during the passage between Side 7 and Luna 2. Did she have the right, however, to risk the lives of two civilian journalists and their pilot? The thought unsettles her, though she gives no indication of her unease.

As if reading Athena's thoughts, Skoo says, "That's my dude, Ken Cheng and his cameraman, Jake Matthews, in that UCN pod."

"I know," Athena acknowledges, "General Noa asked them to document the training exercises."

"Is that it?" Skoo probes.

"It's all I can discuss," Athena answers tersely.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Nelson_ , Ensign Cato Borgnine shows Cadet Alexander Black how the main forward cannon of the ship operates.

The Ensign tells Alexandria gravely, "The _Nelson_ 's main forward cannon might seem a little primitive compared to what newer ships are outfitted with, but it still packs quite a wallop if you know what you're doing with it."

"I hope this gun swivels," Alexandria bites her lip dubiously, "or its field of fire is going to be dangerously limited."

Borgnine chuckles, "Earlier models of Federation space warships had that problem, but don't worry: the _Nelson_ is very much modernized in that aspect."

Alexandria studies the cannon trigger mechanism. Nothing too difficult, it seems...not that they're likely to encounter any trouble during the short passage to Luna 2 anyway…

Seated in the captain's seat just a few meters away, Captain Jill Angles is on the coms with the pilots of two Jegans that Luna 2 has deployed to greet and escort the _Nelson_. The pilots, Chief Warrant Officer Fabian Cernovich and Chief Warrant Officer Vicki Guo, acknowledge that they will be making contact with the _Nelson_ in precisely ten minutes.

"We're entering a heavy Minovsky Particle zone, Captain," one of the bridge techs reports, "We're blind across the electromagnetic spectrum for the next nine minutes, ma'am.'

"Acknowledged, sparks, thank you," Captain Angles answers, turning her attention to another screen that indicates that Captain Kenta's cadets are distributed at duty stations across the ship.

Captain Angles makes an announcement through shipwide PA, "This is Captain Angles. Everybody stand by at all combat stations. We're entering a Minovsky zone."

* * *

Space as far as the eye can see appears still and serene, the blue spherical mass of Earth looming in the distance on the port side of the ship, and the stars light years away on the aptly-named starboard. In a world wherein Minovsky Particles have rendered useless the various devices humanity has developed to use the electromagnetic spectrum to see beyond its eyes, the crew of the _Nelson_ reverts to using the same navigation methods that their ancient ancestors used in centuries past.

Captain Angles opens the coms to the Luna 2 escort Jegans, "Captain Angles from the _Nelson_ to Chief Warrant Officers Cernovich and Guo...acknowledge. Do you copy? This is the _Nelson_ hailing Luna 2 Jegan Patrol. Acknowledge."

Maddening silence. Perhaps the Minovsky Particle interference?

Two faint green lights become visible in the distance. The Jegans' monoeyes, undoubtedly, approaching the _Nelson_ from the twelve o'clock position.

At her place at the main cannon, Alexandria places her hands on the firing mechanism.

The green monoeyes of the Jegans approach closer.

Captain Angles studies their approach carefully, _Something is odd about the way that they're moving...like they're…_

The Jegans finally become visible, their cockpits penetrated from behind, by the hands of Rick Dias mobile suits that hold the Jegans in front of themselves like shields!

"BATTLE STATIONS!" Captain Jill roars, whipping off her glasses.

* * *

The pair of Rick Diases take aim at the bridge of the _Nelson_ , but before they can open fire, they are skeeted out of space by the beam gunfire from Skoo's, Athena's, and Rika's ReZELs!

The three Raptor Team mobile suits form a tight defensive formation around the _Nelson_. More beam fire erupts from the distance, with two shots striking the _Nelson_ , rocking the ship.

"Where's that fire coming from?!" Skoo demands.

Athena replies, "I've got visuals on two...no, make that three...six..."

A swarm of Rick Dias mobile suits soon amasses within visible range around the four Raptor ReZELs and the _Nelson_. Athena loses count, but a quick glance is enough to confirm that the numbers are far in excess of a dozen, with more arriving.

"Captain Ibaz," Jill says into the coms, "Looks like your hunch was on the money. Hope your exit strategy is just as on target."

Athena sends a coded signal, received by those equipped to decode as coordinates and "CENTURIONS, STRIKE!"

* * *

The first two beam bolts to strike the _Nelson_ were powerful enough to knock Jolie and Jonah into each other's arms and into a corridor wall. The two young cadets grab lift-grips built into the wall to stabilize themselves.

Captain Angles' voice comes through the PA as red alert lights flash, "Attention all units, this is Captain Jillian Angles! This is not a drill! We are under attack! I repeat, the _Nelson_ is under attack! I want all MS deployed and every able-bodied crew member in a turret immediately! Cadets, it's time to sink or swim! You're in the crucible now, so let's see what you're made of!"

"Shit!" Jolie growls, letting the lift-grip pull her towards the mobile suit deck.

"Jolie! WAIT!" Jonah calls out, too slow to pursue his impulsive girlfriend.

Jolie enters the MS deck and floats across its expanse towards the open cockpit of the Gundam Alex.

Her Newtype senses detect and interloper approaching rapidly from the right side, and Jolie has just enough time to raise her right arm to block the right boot of Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie's normalsuit from slamming her on the side of her head.

The impact is enough to cause Jolie to careen out of control across the expanse of the MS launch deck, until she is caught by the scruff of her normalsuit by Captain Ryusuke Kenta.

The furious, helmeted visage of Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie startles Jolie as the veteran demands, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, MINH?!"

"Um…" is all Jolie can manage before Kenta cuts her off, "Get back to your gunnery station, kid...you aren't ready."

With that, Kenta hurls Jolie back towards the corridor to the main decks before descending into the cockpit of his Waverider-configuration Zeta-Plus.

"We're going to have a talk about this later," Christina tells Jolie acidly as she straps herself into the cockpit seat of the Gundam Alex and the cockpit hatch closes.

"Get to your duty station, Minh," Kenta adds as the canopy closes over the cockpit of the Zeta-Plus.

"DAMN IT!" Jolie screams, pounding her gloved fist against the corridor wall.

* * *

In the opposite hangar bay, Erisia and Scarlet are already moving to deploy as well.

"You still fly that old eggplant," Scarlet says jokingly to her twin as she settles into the cockpit of her ReZEL.

Eri, who has just finished strapping into her custom Gaplant, replies, "That's Gaplant Custom, and I'm not a part of the military anymore. The Federation was kind enough to let me keep it, but don't worry: I've had it fitted with a Biosensor, so it's more than capable of keeping pace."

So saying, Erisia eyes the indicator on the screen of her Gaplant Custom's combat computer. Engine power is at 80% and building. Fifteen seconds to launch.

Adjacent to the Gaplant Custom, Scarlet's ReZEL Commander Type is already being lifted to the launch catapult, the engines standing by at 110% power.

"2 Lt. Scarlet here, ready to deploy."

"Copy that, 2Lt. Scarlet. You are clear for deployment, good hunting," comes the response from the mission operator.

With a hydraulic hiss and Minvosky particle-powered engine roar, Scarlet's ReZEL rockets out of the _Nelson_ 's internal launch bayinto space, transforming into Waverider mode once she is clear of the ship.

Her sister's mobile suit having cleared the area, Erisia steps her Gaplant up to the launch catapult. The last time she deployed in combat, her name had been Erisia Nocton... but she's not quite ready to use her parents' names either. She closes her eyes and takes a breath.

"Erisia, ready to deploy," she says as her eyes snap back open, a fierce determination in them.

"You are cleared for deployment," the mission operator replies, "Good hunting Miss."

* * *

Raptor Leader, Captain Skoo Koo, is dusting off two Rick Dias with blasts from her ReZEL's beam rifle. A third seemingly is about to get the drop on her to blast her ReZEL. Skoo knows it. Her instincts and senses detected it seconds before the sensory instruments of her mobile suit did, but she is unconcerned...focused on the targets in front rather than the interloper in back, because Raptor Three, a position temporarily occupied by Captain Athena Ibaz, reduces the interloper to scrap with a clean shot from her ReZEL's beam rifle!

"Good shot, Captain Ibaz," Skoo says admiringly, "Thanks for the assisting."

"More incoming," Athena answers by way of acknowledgement.

"How about some reinforcements of our own?" Skoo asks.

"Already on the way," Athena answers, "Hang in there another minute…"

Erisia has to admit, Scarlet is a force to be reckoned with in battle. It's only been two minutes since they deployed and her twin sister has already downed seven enemies while she has only downed four! Guess it shows how much those fools who ran the Titans' R&D Department back in the day really knew.

She quickly jabs her shield into the torso of one Rick Dias, impaling it before she brought her beam saber to bear and impaled the head, vaporizing the cockpit. Back in the day, this would have been nothing to her, but now, alarmingly, Erisia is struggling to keep pace.

"Don't worry," Scarlet reassures her sister, "This is your first combat sortie since the Gryps conflict... you're just a little rusty is all."

"Well, you've proven those scientists were idiots to think you wouldn't be an effective soldier," Erisia replies as she destroys two enemies with a single blast from her twin beam cannon, "because you are outright dancing circles all over these guys."

* * *

Lts. (JG) Letz Kobayashi and Hector Rowe man the forward gun turrets of the _Nelson_ , giving it their literal best shot, but being of limited effectiveness because fixed gunsights are at an extreme disadvantage against fast-moving mobile suits.

"We're just wasting energy clips, Letz!" Lt. Rowe complains, "They're faster than we can track with our guns!"

"Just keep shooting, man!" Letz retorts, "Saturate the field with fire...keep them off-balance so they can't shoot at us! Hitting them is a bonus!"

"WATCH OUT!" Rowe suddenly cries out savagely!

The beam blast from an unseen Rick Dias blasts a breach in the hull of the _Nelson_ near the gunnery stations. Self-repair adhesive balloons instantly deploy to seal the breach, but the shrapnel caused by the blast has already embedded itself painfully into the flesh of the gunnery officers.

Battered, bleeding, and barely conscious, Letz is able to reach an emergency comlink to summon help…

* * *

Fifty meters away, Jolie and Jonah hear the emergency call from Lt. (JG) Kobayashi.

"JONAH!" Jolie calls back as she breaks into a spring towards the starboard gunnery station, "They need help!"

"Wait!" Jonah cautions, though he runs with her, "Shouldn't we let the Emergency Response Team…?!"

"NO TIME!" Jolie retorts, "They're on the aft part of the ship! It'll take them a few minutes to get here! If we don't act fast, that gunnery crew is gonna die!"

Jolie finishes as she and Jonah come up at the gunnery station. She presses the door control button frantically, but the doors fail to slide open. Applying all their strength, Jolie and Jonah pry the door open with their bare hands, and find Lts. Kobayashi and Rowe awash in their own blood and debris on the floor, a fire burning dangerously nearby.

"Jonah!" Jolie cries out, "The fire extinguisher!"

"On it!" Jonah replies, liberating the extinguisher from its storage nacelle and turning it on the flames.

"Automatic sprinkler system must have been taken out by the hit," Jolie remarks as she attends to Lt. Kobayashi.

"Lieutenant….Letz! Hey, stay with me, man!" Jolie says, slapping the veteran officer gently on the cheeks.

Letz awakens, "D-don't worry. N-not as bad as it looks. Lt. Rowe…!"

"I'll get him," Jolie answers as Letz rises to his feet, affirming that he is not as badly wounded as he initially seemed.

Jolie drags the still-unconscious Lt. (JG) Rowe away from where he is collapsed near his gunnery station. Unlike the more fortunate Lt. (JG) Kobayashi, Rowe is severely wounded...shrapnel buried in his torso and not breathing.

Jolie listens for a heartbeat and administers CPR that Kenta had taught the entire cadet squad the previous week. After ninety nerve-wracking seconds, Rowe stirs and begins to groan in pain.

"Stay down, Hector," Letz tells Rowe, "ERT is almost here and will get you down to sick bay. You're going to be OK."

"What about you?" Jolie asks Letz.

"Doing better than Hector," Letz answers, "but my arm is busted. Not going to be able to operate the gun, assuming it still works."

"We'll handle that, sir," Jonah says, holding the now-depleted fire extinguisher, "I got the fire out, and the guns seem to be working."

The ERTs arrive and begin administering aid to the groaning Lt. Rowe. Jolie attempts to assist, but one of the ERT tells her, "We've got it covered here! You do your job!"

Letz points with the index finger of his uninjured hand at his gunnery station, "Counting on you kids."

As Letz leaves for sick bay with Lt. Rowe and the ERTs, Jolie and Jonah strap themselves into the starboard gunnery stations...Jolie on the left (Letz's gun) and Jonah on the right (Rowe's).

"Damn it," Jolie says, "That hit fucked up the sensors! They aren't picking up anything!"

"Remember what I said before," Jonah answers, "Use 'other eyes'!"

Their minds link...with each other...with the environment around them. Suddenly, they both...see local space as clear as day, but in a manner that has absolutely nothing to do with their corneas or optic nerves.

Jolie "sees" the image of three Rick Dias bearing down upon Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie's Gundam Alex. Jolie figures that Christina can handle two at the time, but the third is giving her problems.

Jolie directs the dual beam cannon towards the Rick Dias, critically damaging it with a series of blasts, and leaving Christina free to dispatch the other two.

Another Rick Dias bears down upon the the _Nelson_ ; Jolie and Jonah catch it in their crossfire and blast it to oblivion.

* * *

UCN mobile pod pilot Vince Stringfellow, a retired Ball pilot from the One Year War who has worked with UCN since 0081, puts a safe distance between his pod and the center of the battle raging between the _Nelson_ and the unexpected interlopers, but still close enough for war correspondent Ken Cheng and camera operator Jake Matthews to document the battle for UCN.

"Look at that!" Jake says as he shoots footage of the battle swirling around the _Nelson_ , "this is a full-on firefight!"

"Start transmitting now, Jake," Ken says, readying his microphone as Jake begins transmitting his camera's footage worldwide.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are witnessing a battle between Side 7 and Luna 2 between the Earth Federation Space Forces cruiser _Nelson_ and Rick Dias mobile suits whose affiliation is unknown, but possibly associated with the terrorists who attacked and destroyed two commercial space liners earlier this week...WHOA!"

Ken and Jake howl vociferously as a Rick Dias approaches too close for comfort before being chased away by Captain Koo's ReZEL Commander.

"Conditions out here are highly hazardous," Ken reports nervously, "but we'll continue sending back reports and footage even as we're trying to stay alive out here!"

More Rick Dias approach the UCN pod, prompting pilot Vince Stringfellow to remark, "I was a combat pilot long enough to know these aren't incidental passes; for whatever reason, these guys are out for us, too!"

* * *

Aboard her ReZEL Commander, Captain Koo comes to the same conclusion, "Raptors Two and Three, I need back up here."

"Copy, Raptor Leader," Athena's voice comes through the coms, "Wait...we have another incoming bogey...larger and faster than these Rick Diases."

"Run ID scan!" Skoo orders.

Athena's eyes widen in disbelief as the ID scan system aboard her ReZEL Commander displays the data, "MAN-03 BRAW BRO."

"Braw Bro?!" Skoo responds, fending off Rick Diases, "What the FUCK?!"

"Combat computer is doing a re-scan," Athena amends, "MA-08 BIG ZAM."

"Is it a Braw Bro or a Big Zam?!" Skoo demands.

"Neither and both!" Athena answers as she and Rika's ReZELs pursue a nightmare machine that appears to Skoo's eyes to be a Braw Bro body with Byg Zam legs.

"Oh, fucking shit!" Skoo mutters when she sees it, "Where the hell did these Zekes get THAT from?!"

 _Zekes_? Athena isn't so sure, but who indeed has the resources to acquire one of these?

Athena lands what appears on trajectory to be a direct hit upon the Braw Bro with her ReZEL Commander Type's beam rifle, but the stream of charged particles disperses a meter off the shell of the Braw Bro with no detectable effect upon the mobile armor.

"It's protected by an I-Field, Captain Koo," Athena reports, "Our beam weapons aren't effective against it."

"Eat micro missile then!" Skoo snarls, unfurling a plethora of such projectiles from her ReZEL's back-mounted munition racks.

The Braw Bro extends its signature weapons, wireguided particle beam cannon, and rapidly vaporize most of Skoo's micro missiles. but a few get through and score some hits on the main body

The particle beam projectors snake forward towards Raptor Team's three ReZELs, forcing Skoo, Athena, and Rika to scatter for their lives. Only their superb piloting skills and the nimbleness of the ReZELs enable them to barely escape catastrophe.

Skoo lays down four more micro missiles, only one of which connects and appears to score negligible damage.

"Hey, I'm going need you two to distract those particle beam projectors if I'm going to target the main body," Skoo says grittily, "You two handle it for me."

"Copy that," Athena and Rika respond as Raptor Two and Raptor Three.

Athena fires a grenade at the one of the particle beam projector, causing the weapon to snake towards her withdrawing ReZEL. From the opposite end of the Braw Bro, Rika mirrors Athena's action, provoking a similar response.

The particle beam projector occupied with her two charges, Skoo moves in on the main body of the Braw Bro, which proves a tough nut to crack with its own particle beam projectors and heavy missiles mounted on the feet of its legs.

* * *

In the UCN news pod, Jake Matthews collects and broadcasts more footage of the _Nelson_ crew and its MS escort fighting back fiercely against its attackers. The forward beam cannon blisters of the ship chop viciously through multiple Rick Dias that approach within their firing arc, and what the guns do not strike are felled by the Gundam Alex, which impales another Rick Dias on its beam saber.

In the other passenger seat, Ken Cheng continues to feverishly report the action, "The mobile suits attacking the _Nelson_ , according to our mobile pod pilot Vince Stringfellow, a veteran of the One Year War, is an RMS-099 Rick Dias type, deployed by the AEUG forces during the Gryps Conflict. Additionally, a Zeon MAN-03 mobile armor has appeared on the scene and is engaging the Raptor Team of the Londo Bell Special Forces. From this information, it's impossible and would be irresponsible for us to speculate on the identity of this group, though we can reasonably conclude that whoever they might be, they are well-funded and well-equipped."

Ken is momentarily interrupted by Vince, who makes some inaudible remark before Ken returns to the microphone to add, "Vince has just informed me that the Braw Bro mobile armor is somewhat modified from the model that the Federation Forces encountered during the One Year War...equipped with leg-like appendages similar to that of the Byg Zam, which those of you in the audience old enough to remember the One Year War might recall as the mobile armor piloted by Prince Dozle Zabi of the Archduchy of Zeon at the Battle of Solomon. Vince also tells me that this Braw Bro is equipped with something called an I-Field. I won't get into the technical details of it, which I hardly understand myself, but it's effectively a kind of energy field that deflects beam weapon shots, making this situation extremely perilous for the Federation pilots! Jake...can we get a clear shot of the Braw Bro?"

"'Fraid not, Ken," Jake replies, "At least not until we put some more distance between ourselves and that ratrace."

"The man's right," Vince concurs, "I'm going to swing us out a bit farther."

The UCN pod maneuvers outside the what appears to be the perimeter of the firefight, though Vince and his two passengers are rightfully wary that they could be targeted again or simply in the line of fire at any moment. Presently, though, Jake is able to get decent, though long-distance footage of the mobile suits and lone mobile armor embroiled in the battle.

"Yeah, definitely a Braw Bro with legs," Jake remarks, "Legs are probably armed, or why else have 'em? Not like it's going to do much walking or running."

Ken nods and again speaks into his broadcasting microphone, "Again, I must emphasize that the identity of these attackers is unknown, and until sufficient evidence emerges to certify their identity, UCN and its affiliates will not jump to conclusions. As you have all seen on your television devices, however, this enemy clearly has no regard for the rules of war, actively attacking even a journalist spacecraft."

* * *

Captain Jill Angles takes in the whole of the swirling combat...the Raptor Team trying to avoid being destroyed by the snaking particle beam cannon of the Braw Bro, Captain Kenta and Lt. Col. Mackenzie attempting to fend off the Rick Dias mobile suits that surround the _Nelson_ , and the recruits aboard the ship skeeting with their beam cannon at the enemy targets that elude Kenta and Kenzie.

"YEAH!" Jolie exults, pumping a fist above her, "Eighth one I got! Woo-hoo!"

"Stay focused," Jonah warns, "This isn't a game, Jolie!"

For his part, Jonah nervously reflects that each mobile suit they shoot down contains at least one human life, and unlike Jolie, who has almost jubilantly shot down eight, Jonah hasn't scored a hit on a single Rick Dias...and he's not sure if it's because he can't...or if he doesn't want to.

"Shit, Boyo," Jolie says with some dismay, "As many as we shoot down, more keep coming! Do they grow these on trees or something?"

 _We?_ Jonah thinks to himself, _I haven't hit a thing!_

Jolie picks up Jonah's thought, but before she can respond, more Rick Diases appear.

Jolie keeps gunning at the Rick Diases, skeeting at them with gusto, but the numbers are beginning to work against her...especially as Jonah seemingly would miss Jupiter from point blank range at the moment.

A Rick Dias bears down upon the gun blister before Jolie can swing the cannon to aim at it, but the enemy MS abruptly explodes, stricken by a tremendous impact.

And then another...and another...and another in rapid succession.

Earth Federation Forces mobile suits, gun-metal gray in armor color, streak past, armed with 180mm rifle cannon whose high-velocity armor piercing rounds quickly liquidate the enemy Rick Diases.

"Those are…?" Jonah begins.

"Centurion Team!" Jolie grins, "They must be Centurion Team MS!"

And with the Centurions' arrival, the erstwhile predators suddenly find themselves being hunted, savaged by the Centurion Team's heavily armed RGM-94J Javelins.

* * *

Athena's ReZEL Commander Type fires a precisely aimed shot that severs the cable connecting the Braw Bro's starboard particle beam projector to the mobile armor's main body. Separated from its command and control unit, the weapon begins to flail and misfire.

Athena finishes the projector itself with another shot from the ReZEL's beam rifle. She then joins Rika to help her teammate finish off the port side projector.

Meanwhile, Skoo continues to target the main body of the Braw Bro with her ReZEL Commander's micro-missiles. The I-Field begins to flicker and weaken as a few of Skoo's missiles hit home on the Braw Bro's I-Field projectors, just as Centurion Team's Javelins, having broken through the line of Rick Diases, arrive on the scene.

"You ladies call for backup," comes the arch British lilt of Centurion Team's Chief Warrant Officer Geoffe Sutcliffe, "Wellington at your service!"

"Shut up and assume the position," retorts Chief Warrant Officer Karyn Luna - Koa.

"You guys seen the _Godfather_?" Chief Warrant Officer Anna Horowitz interjects, "There was a great scene kind of like this."

"Centurions," Chief Petty Officer Lucien Ashworth, Centurion Team's ECOAS liaison, supervising the team's use of the Stealth Javelins, cuts in as he takes aim at the Braw Bro/Byg Zam hybrid, "just bring our shit back in one piece, if you don't mind. They're expensive hardware, and the High Command will be on MY ass if we don't bring them home in reasonably good condition."

As a unit, the Centurion Team's Javelins swivel their 180mm rifle cannon upon the Braw Bro and saturate the weakened mobile armor with their firestorm, indeed as Anna characterized, almost like a 1930s Chicago gang performing a hit on an automobile bearing an enemy _don_.

After a minute of such pounding, supplemented by beam rifle fire from Athena's and Rika's ReZELs, which have dispatched the port side particle beam projector, the Braw Brow explodes...momentarily a miniature star.

Jill contacts the mobile suit pilots, "Mop up the remaining enemy mobile suit units!"

Captain Kenta and Lt. Col. Mackenzie join with Centurion Team and Raptor Team to destroy or chase away the few remaining Rick Dias mobile suits.

Using her precision shooting skills, Athena strikes one fleeing Rick Dias in a manner the disables its main and maneuvering thrusters and paralyzes the mobile suit's internal movement system.

"Looks like we have a POW," Lt. Col. Mackenzie reports to Captain Angles.

"Roger that," Jill affirms, "but the Rick Dias might be boobytrapped, so we'll tow it in and have the authorities at Luna 2 examine it."

* * *

"YES!" Jolie exults, pumping both fists into the air, laughing, "That was BADASS!"

Jonah, at his gunnery station, undoes his collar, wipes sweat off his brow and exhales.

"Hey...you OK?" Jolie asks, suddenly concerned.

Jonah does not answer, staring vacantly ahead, seeming dazed and confused.

Jolie hops out of her gunnery station to check on Jonah when they hear Captain Angles' voice coming over the PA, "Red alert is over. All personnel return to regular duty stations, but maintain yellow alert status. CADET MINH: report to the bridge immediately!"

"Shit," Jolie groans, "She sounded kinda mad."

Jolie doffs the normalsuit and is back in her pink and white cadet uniform as she approaches the door to the bridge of the _Nelson_ , _sans_ Jonah, who wants to go to the bridge with Jolie to offer moral support, but is ordered back to his duty station or be judged AWOL.

* * *

Jolie knocks on the armored door, which slides open to admit her.

Among the officers on the bridge, Jolie recognizes only Captain Jill Angles, Captain Ryusuke Kenta, and Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie. Alexandria has since been dismissed back to her duty station belowdecks, and the other sundry bridge officers are unknown to Jolie.

Jolie steps forward among the senior officers and salutes, "Cadet Minh reporting, ma'am, sir, ma'am."

Captain Angles rises from her command chair and fixes Jolie in a severe gaze, "You tried to hijack another pilot's mobile suit after going AWOL from your assigned post, Cadet Minh. Not only is that intolerable, but I remind you that you're still a recruit! Both officers here have the right to severely punish you, myself included as captain of the _Nelson_ , but in light of your earlier kindness, and the valor you demonstrated in protecting the ship and its crew during the assault, I'm willing to be nice about this and give you a choice on who to receive your punishment from: Lt. Colonel McKenzie as the pilot you attempted to steal from, Captain Kenta as your drill instructor, or me as commanding officer of this vessel. Don't get me wrong, Cadet. I admire your guts and quick-thinking, but none of that justifies risking the lives of your comrades-at-arms just to do something heroically stupid. Therefore, I believe it will do you some good to take that ego of yours down a notch. I highly suggest you choose wisely, Cadet."

Jolie gulps, and then answers, "I'll accept my penalty from you as commanding officer of the _Nelson_ , Captain Angles."

A number of scenarios begin running through Jolie's head: shot out the airlock without a normalsuit or helmet; hanged from the head-mounted sensory antenna of the Gundam Alex; guillotined at Luna 2, with her severed head displayed on a pike as a warning to other cadets; living target for Centurion Team's shooting practice; served as meat for a Skoo Special...

"Come with me to my office, Cadet Minh," Jill says sternly, leading the way.

"Been nice knowing you, kid," Kenta says plaintively as Jolie passes by behind Jill.

* * *

Jill unlocks the door to her office space… or what looks more like a mess as Jolie takes a look around for anything that might resemble an implement of death or torture. The earlier battle had caused papers, books, and various other things to scatter the ground. The captain gives out a long sigh at the sight.

"Typical," she muttered, before picking up a few papers, "Give me hand while I find what I need for your punishment, cadet."

"Yes, ma'am." Jolie nods before reaching for a tea cup, peeking around out of curiosity and for any hint of what form her punishment might take.

Jolie stares at the cup in her hand.

 _Poison hemlock_? She wonders, remembering a story that Athena had told her during the journey from Industria Colony to Side 7 about the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Jolie puts the cup down and shakes her head. Despite the mess, she finds many objects of interest in the captain's office. Requests for leave, daily reports, several books on topics such as gardening, art, crystals, and runes...whatever those are. Not exactly what Jolie was expecting in the office of a naval captain.

Jolie puts a book back on the shelf and turns her attention to a large display case with colorful rocks of all shapes and sizes. They are organized by color, making the whole display look like a glittering rainbow. It's oddly beautiful, mesmerizing the teenager.

"Something caught your eye, Minh?" Jill asks, glancing over before looking over some random paperwork.

"This is really pretty, captain, " Jolie comments about the display, momentarily forgetting her punishment, "but why do you have so many paperweights?"

Silence fills the office for a moment, making Jolie uncomfortable as she risks a peek at the _Nelson_ 's captain. Despite the ample illumination in the room, no light reflects in the Jill's brown eyes as she merely stares at Jolie, unamused from behind her glasses.

Jolie freezes and gulps. She makes the mistake of breaking eye contact, and her wide eyes land on was a small reverse metal star in a circle on the ground.

Jolie pales and wails, "Oh my God, she's going to sacrifice me to the Devil!"

"What did you just say, Cadet?" Jill asks in an annoyed tone that brings Jolie's ephemeral attention back to her.

"I…" Jolie begins, shaking, before screaming out in mortal terror "I'M SORRY! PLEASE, DON'T SACRIFICE ME!"

Another moment of silence passes as Jill stared at the terrified cadet, dumbfounded by what she just heard.

"What the fucking hell is going through your mind, cadet?! Are you malfunctioning on me or just plain crazy?!" Jill demands once she gets her thoughts together.

Jolie stiffens, "But… But, that star…"

Jill frowns as she looks over at the metal symbol on the floor and lets out a groan, "Oh, for the love of- That's a pentagram, Cadet! I'm a Wiccan!"

"What?" Jolie asked, now dumbfounded as she watches the captain affix the symbol back on the wall. The now rectified pentagram hangs over a cabinet that appears to have been used as an altar before the battle.

"So…" Jolie begins again, "You're not-"

"A devil-worshipping cultist who plans to sacrifice you to some demonic deity?" Jill finishes for her, "No. Hell no, I'm not! Given the state of my office, however, I can't really blame you for assuming it. Still, I am disappointed that you thought that way about me without asking about it."

Jolie feels guilty now. She had been so worked up in trying to figure out what her punishment would be that she made the kind captain hate her. She really does like the bespectacled woman.

 _Maybe I do need to be punished_ , Jolie thinks as she continues to clean, quietly. She bends down to carefully pick up a broken picture frame. Curious, she turns it over to face three familiar figures: a younger version of the bespectacled Captain smiling into the camera with both Lt. Colonel Mckenzie and Captain Kenta by her sides. Kenta is actually smiling proudly in the photo, something Jolie has rarely seen him do in the weeks that she's known him.

Jolie hesitates before glancing at the captain again. She wants to ask about the photo, but doesn't want to further anger the woman. Even so, Jolie can't help her growing curiosity, and a dilemma begins to grow in her head.

It certainly doesn't go unnoticed.

"Something on your mind, Cadet Minh?" Jill asks, startling Jolie.

She hesitates, "This picture…"

Jill looked up from her search, "Is it broken? If so, be careful not to cut yourself."

"Well, yes. But…" Jolie pauses, "How do you know Kenta?"

Jill pauses now before a small smile graces her face, "Sounds like you found my graduation picture."

"Captain?" Jolie asks, genuinely curious.

Jill shakes her head, "You are not the first person Captain Kenta has trained. Probably not his last, either. But, things started getting better the day an oddball cadet wandered into his forge. That much, I'll share."

Jolie makes a mental note to ask Kenta about it later. It's probably all she's going to get out of the young captain anyway. Jolie knows better than to push her luck on the matter, too. She's still in trouble.

Another few minutes agonizingly pass before the captain finds what has been looking for. She calls Jolie to her desk after putting away the books. Nervous, said cadet stands in front of the desk, awaiting further instruction. A pregnant pause follows before Jill speaks.

"All right, Cadet Minh, listen very carefully, " Jill begins as she gestures to a decent-sized meteorite chunk and a Sharpie, "You punishment is to write 'My Dignity' on this rock so that I may use it as a paperweight. You may come and collect this rock after you're done with your duties. Do I make myself clear, Cadet?"

"That's it?!" Jolie blurts out before catching the captain's warning glare, "I mean, yes, ma'am!"

Jolie takes the rock and scribbled the designated words on the rock. The captain grimaces when she sees the handwriting, if one can even call it that. It's chicken-scratch at best...barely more comprehensible than ancient Sumerian cuneiform or Egyptian hieroglyphics. Jill shakes her head, mildly as a thought lingers in the back of her mind. Now is not the time.

"Very good. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here, cadet." Jill dismisses Jolie with a wave.

"Yes, ma'am!" Jolie replies and wastes no time hightailing it out of the office. She does, however take care not to break anything, to the captain's relief.

Jill sighs once the door is closed. As much as she wants to take a nap, there is work to be done. She surveys the mess before her: the poor cadet had at least made the mess a hair more manageable and she might as well finish picking up before her second set of guests arrives.

Jill is in the midst of fixing up the altar when she hears the knock on her office door. A smile graces the bespectacled woman's face as her expected guests enter.

"Lt. Colonel Mckenzie, Captain Kenta, " Jill greets the pair, "Welcome back."

"Good to see you as well, " Christina smiles, warmly as the door closes behind them, "but, I think we can all drop the formalities now."

"Agreed, " Jill grins, as she immediately hugs the pair, "It's been too damn long since I last saw you two!"

"Your office is still a wreck, though," Kenta notes.

"Comes with the territory of being a ship captain, Kenta, " Jill retorts with a smirk, "Even a mock battle will make a mess of this place. We got really lucky with that goddess of a mobile suit squad captain on our side. She plans ahead and thinks fast as her name suggests. That's a good combo to have in the pocket."

"But, we're not here to discuss that, are we?" Kenta asked.

"Not the main discussion, no, but, she is one of the things I'd like to get to today. Tea?" Jill offers, heading towards her electric kettle.

"I'll take some." Kenta nods as he makes his way towards the couch, "So, what punishment did you give her?"

Jill gives a wicked grin as she begins her recount of what happened in the office. When she gets to the part where Minh begged not to be sacrificed, Kenta can't help but laugh as he imagines the look on poor Jolie's face at the time. Christina is smiling a bit as well as she still believes the cadet deserve something similar in her opinion, but after Jill concludes the recount, the pair remains amused as Jill brings over two cups of sencha with jar of honey for her cup.

"So, where is your 'new paperweight', Jill?" Kenta grins as he accepts the cup.

"On my desk, " Jill replies, tasting her tea before reaching for the honey, "The next step is to 'lose' the Cadet's dignity that is now currently in my possession. Either you or Chris have the honor of doing the deed if you wish."

"I'll be happy to do the honors, " Christina volunteers eagerly "Just to be clear, though. You don't care what happens to it, right?"

"Technically, no. It's an ordinary earth rock, so it's not valuable or anything. However, Chris, you might want to see it for yourself before you get any more ideas about disposing it quickly," Jill advises as she hands the rock to Christina.

One look is all it takes before she smiles and lets out a short laugh, "Well, now. Perhaps, I will reconsider."

Curious, Kenta glances over and frowns at the horrible, chicken-scratched words of "My Dignuttee" on the rock.

"I'm surprised it's even legible." Kenta groans.

"Yeah, " Jill sighs, "It's almost as bad as what my brother's handwriting was… assuming it's gotten any better at this point, that is. I guess, it goes to show that she really does have a lack in her education."

There is a moment of silence as Kenta and Christina watches Jill stare aimlessly at the handwriting. They debate within themselves whether or not to say anything. However, Jill continues before Kenta can even speak, "Either way, I'll see if someone can't bring her up to speed on her schooling. She'll need to learn how to make proper reports. Regardless, the rock that binds her dignity to it is yours to do as you please, Chris."

Christina smiles, "You make it sound like you used a curse on it."

Jill thinks a moment before shrugging, "I suppose in a way. But, that kind of thing follows along the darker roots of Hoodoo and I don't like to dabble too much into that."

"Don't you mean Voodoo?" Christina asks, confused.

"Voodoo is a religion-based way of life born thru a time of persecution. Hoodoo is a craft that came from Africa and came way before Voodoo," Jill corrects, sipping her tea, "Honestly, though? Hoodoo is its own brand of weird when it comes to the craft as a whole. Trust me, you don't want to know."

The Federation officers take her word for it. Anything about magic Jill calls weird is bound to be pretty bad. Given, Jill is weird enough herself. They are used to her brand of weird, though.

"Well, I better have fun before we dock at Luna 2. Later," Christina stands, grabbing Jolie's dignity as she heads for the door.

"Have fun, Angel." Kenta calls after her.

When the door shuts to the office, he catches Jill smiling at him, "Okay, what's up with the smile?"

"You're happier now. Not by much, but definitely better." Jill comments, digging into her pouch for her runes, "Maybe, you did need someone to train again. A 'Robin' for your 'Batman.'"

"So, what? You think I found my calling or something?" Kenta asks, interested.

"Who can say," Jill replied, pulling out a blank rune stone from her pouch, "The universe works in strange ways. We can only heed its call when the time comes."

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Captain Angles receives the Chief Engineer's damage report in the aftermath of the skirmish, delivered to her office in person by the Chief Engineer himself.

"So, basically, the engine didn't sustain any damage from the battle?" Captain Angles inquires of the Chief Engineer.

"Yep, we're in the clear, " Chief Engineer Dalton Molt confirms before adding in a suggestively evil tone that light up his green eyes with mischievous humor, "Although it could use a good calibration..."

Jill groans at the six-foot tall, bespectacled, blond man, "Seriously, Dalton?! You've been calibrating that precious engine forever! Stop mothering the damn thing to perfection already!"

Molt merely shakes his head as he rejoins, "Never. Something always needs calibrating on this ship. It's that old, dear. Besides, it gives me an excuse to listen to that new book I found," he grins at the thought for a moment, "So, how have you been holding up?"

Jill removes her captain's hat as she tells her Chief Engineer with a long sigh,"The office was way worse before you came. On top of that, I'm punishing a cadet who went AWOL to attempt to steal an MS while trying to get everything back to normal ASAP. The ship definitely needs repairs, so it will be out of commission for awhile. High chance we might get leave if they don't have me do anything else."

"Fun, " Dalton comments, heading around the desk to give the captain's shoulders a good rub, "You'll be fine, dear. I've seen you handle much worse before."

"Funny how that seems like a cakewalk now in comparison to this, " she hums as she leans into his strong, but gentle grip on her shoulders. Once she relaxes more, Jill adds, "Oh! I met up with Kenta and Chris earlier as well!"

"Oh? How are they?" he inquires curiously as some blond hair falls out of his ponytail. No one on the ship cared that Dalton has long hair as long as it stays tied up and where it poses no obstruction or safety hazard. Jill likes it better long, in any case.

"Good. Kenta's starting to get better again, " she smiles at him, "He's training those cadets on board. You received one or two of them in your department, didn't you?"

"Oh." he blinks in realization, "I was wondering when we got the busty Irish chick. Bet she would have survived the sinking of the _Titanic_. Was that training with the recruits today?"

Jill stares at him in disbelief, "You actually forgot?!"

"I had a really good book to listen to recently, " Dalton explains without hesitation, "My bad, dear."

"Jerk." Jill mutters before a hard cough catches the pair's attention.

Cadet Jolie Minh, returning for her rock, stands at the door, looking like her hand got caught in the cookie jar. What she's walked into the middle of is something a bit more private than the teenager had expected and she hopes it doesn't make things worse.

Jolie gulps, "Uh, I can come back later…"

"No need, Cadet." Jill insists, "We were wrapping up. Chief Molt."

The tall man salutes her before turning to leave the office. It grows quiet as Jolie fidgets in place. Curiosity nips at the back of her head, and the irrepressible teenager cannot maintain her silence any longer.

"So, that guy…?" she begins tentatively.

"Chief Molt is my boyfriend and tends to the _Nelson_ 's engine with his stupid, never-ending calibrations." Jill answers honestly before turning to her with a serious expression, "Here for your Dignity back, Cadet Minh?"

"Yes, ma'am! I'll just take it and leave you-" Jolie stares wide-eyed at the nearly empty desk, "Where'd it go?!"

She moves to turn over all the papers, but stops as she feels a cold shiver crawl up her spine. She catches the captain's cold stare. The cadet gulps as an evil smirk appears on the senior officer's face.

"You know, Cadet Minh," the captain begins, "I could have your sorry ass tethered to the ship along with that mobile suit the rest of the way to Luna 2 if you so much as dare to mess up my desk. Understood, Cadet?"

Jolie pales as she backs away quickly. That's worse than being jettisoned out of the airlock without a normal suit!

"But… But, where did it go?" Jolie asks, shakily as to not invoke the wrath of the bespectacled woman.

The young captain merely shrugs, "Someone must have taken it by accident. I do have a lot of people coming in and out of my office handing me reports today. I suggest heading out to find your dignity or face the consequences, Cadet Minh. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jolie stiffens, saluting the senior officer.

"And Cadet…?" Jill adds.

"Y-yes, ma'am?" Jolie gulps, with uncharacteristic nervousness.

"I'll thank you to leave my officer's hat on the desk, Cadet," Jill grins like a Cheshire Cat.

"Sorry, ma'am," Jolie responds sheepishly, putting the hat on the desk as instructed.

"DISMISSED!" Jill shouts, louder than necessary.

"YES, MA'AM!" Jolie replies, practically falling out of the room with her tail between her legs.

As Jolie dashes down the corridor, Jill looks at the fleeing cadet with no small amount of amusement, "Ah, kids these days…"

Jolie rushes down the corridor on Deck 6, muttering "Hail Mary's" as many times as she can, as fast as she can.

 _First Kenta, then Kenzie, and now Jill too! These people are DEVILS! DEVILS!_

From inside her uniform jacket, however, Jolie extracts the tome she managed to lift from Captain Angles' office...an ancient-looking, leather-bound volume titled, _Witchcraft: A Handbook of Magic, Spells, and Potions_ by somebody named Anastasia Greywolf.

On her thirty-sixth "Hail Mary," Jolie finds her way back to the conference room, where the cadets have reconvened, quickly re-concealing the book inside her uniform jacket before anybody notices.

"Where have you been?" Jonah asks.

"I'm looking for a rock," Jolie tells them.

"Come again. Rock?" Jonah raises an eyebrow.

"What the hell would a rock be doing on a spacecraft like this?" Alexandria adds, giving Jolie a dubious look.

"It belongs to Captain Angles," Jolie explains, "I think she uses it as a paperweight or something. She had me write 'My Dignity' on it."

"What?" Alexandria demands.

"That is...pretty weird," Maria concedes.

Jolie pulls the cadets into a huddle, and whispers to them, "You know...I think the captain...she's some kind of _witch_."

The cadets look each other, dumbfounded.

"Witch!" Alexandria breaks out in laughter, "Oh, COME ON, Minh!"

"It's true!" Jolie insists, "She had all these rune stones and...!"

"She's a Wiccan," Kenta says as he makes his presence known, "and what you're looking for is your god damn dignity."

The scowl on his face betrays his displeasure over Jolie's actions.

Undeterred, Jolie marches up to Kenta, getting into his face like a rabid chihuahua, demanding "How the hell do you even know anything about My Dignity?!"

Jonah winces, knowing that Jolie has made the wrong move even as he futilely grabs her by the arm and tries vainly to restrain her.

Kenta takes a backhanded swing at Jolie, which the teenager is quick enough to avoid through her extraordinary reflexes, but in backpedaling to avoid the blow, Jolie trips over somebody's foot...Jonah's? Kenta's? She isn't sure, but regardless, she lands on her ass.

Kenta looms menacingly over her, "Don't get up, Minh...you're only asking for more pain if you do. Good luck finding your dignity, for all the good it'll do you."

Kenta turns and leaves before Jolie springs to her feet.

Jolie looks around at her fellow cadets frantically, "Come on, guys! Help me find that rock!"

The cadets look at each other, before Alexandria finally asks, "Seriously, what rock?"

"MY DIGNITY!" Jolie retorts, desperately now, "Help me find My Dignity, please!"

For a moment, there is an awkward silence, and then...Alexandria breaks first...a giggle escaping her in spite of her best efforts. The crack spreads...infecting, in turn, Maria, the Pachis twins, even the usually stoic Nakazawa and the former Kabuki Swingers...all except Jonah. Everyone is quaking and in tears as they roar with convulsive laughter.

Jolie's pale complexion turns red before she flees from the conference room.

"Jolie, wait!" Jonah calls out, pursuing her, but losing the sprinting Jolie in the corridor.

* * *

Humiliated, chastised, and too disgusted at the moment to see or speak to even Jonah, Jolie trudges to the mobile suit deck, where she finds Captain Athena Ibaz providing assistance to technicians servicing her ReZEL Commander Type.

Still clad in her MS pilot normalsuit in case of need for emergency sortie, Athena spots Jolie approaching, her pretty, youthful face locked in a sorry hangdog expression.

Athena approaches her young charge and minces no words, "Lt. Col. Mackenzie tells me that you tried to take off in the Gundam Alex."

"Yeah, I did," Jolie admits sheepishly.

Jolie doesn't see the blow coming...only stars as a sudden pain explodes under her left eye, leaving her flat on the deck.

Athena unclenches her closed fist to point at Jolie, the young Centurion Team officer's expression furious and her voice dark as she says, "Don't EVER do that again."

Athena turns her attention back to the ReZEL, leaving Jolie stewing on the deck.

* * *

On the bridge, Captain Angles observes as the mass of Luna 2 looms in the forward viewport.

"Captain Jillian Angles of the _Nelson_ , requesting permission to approach and dock at Luna 2 Base," the blonde, bespectacled officer intones.

Ther response from Luna 2 arrives momentarily, "This is Luna 2 Control. Roger, Captain Angles. You're expected."

"We're towing an apparent RMS Rick Dias unit that was a part of a crew of hostiles that attacked us _en rout_. Recommend that Luna 2 Command send a demolitions and recovery crew to check it out for possible boobytraps."

After a moment, an answer comes from Luna 2 Command, "Acknowledge, Captain Angles. Demolitions and recovery crew will be on its way, ETA 08:15. Maintain your distance until they're out there and have the Rick Dias safely detached."

* * *

Clad in a normalsuit, observing from the landing deck, Dr. Kamille Bidan muses as the _Nelson_ approaches.

 _Rick Dias_ , Kamille reflects, _The ghosts of the past have risen to haunt us again. What secrets might this Rick Dias reveal?_


	8. Chapter 7: Trial by Fire

CHAPTER 7: TRIAL BY FIRE

A man in his early sixties, tall, gaunt, and clad in a dark business suit, gazes out one of the observation ports of Luna 2 Command as the EFSF's battlecruiser _Nelson_ approaches the asteroid fortress.

Slicking back his greying, neatly backcombed hair, the man hisses as the _Nelson_ approaches close enough for the damage suffered to its hull to become plainly visible.

 _Looks like she took some fire on the way_ , Wakkein - SENATOR Wolfgang Eugene Wakkein of the Northwestern American Zone notes troubledly.

Nearly two decades earlier, Senator Wakkein was Commodore Wakkein of the Earth Federation Space Forces during the One Year War, and had received the EFSF _White Base_ and its crew of irregulars at the very same Luna 2 fortress at which Wakkein now again finds himself.

The luckiest of freak accidents as his command ship ballooned to fiery destruction at the Battle of Solomon preserved Wakkein's life with miraculously minimal injury, but the loss of his entire crew affected the career officer in ways that medicine could neither quantify nor heal.

Wakkein served out his tour of duty before retiring from the EFSF in UC 0082, and then ran for and won the office of Senator for his birthplace, the Northwestern American Zone, which encompasses the areas which had been the American states of Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and northern Utah. A vocal opponent of the Titans during the mid-UC 0080s, Wakkein found himself in the political wilderness for several years along with other Spacenoid-sympathetic Federation officials until the defeat of the Titans brought Wakkein back into favor. In UC 0092, Wakkein was appointed the Chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, with the power to decide on allocations of Federation funding for military expenses.

At the invitation of General Bright Noa, with whom Wakkein has been well-acquainted since Noa was himself a wet-behind-the-ears recruit, Wakkein has returned to Luna 2 for the first time since his retirement from the military some sixteen years earlier...to observe the newest generation of recruits presently under training and inform his budgetary decisions.

Wakkein cannot help but notice how much Luna 2 itself has changed in the sixteen years since he commanded it. When Wakkein served as the fortress's commanding officer, its resources were sparse and minimal. In the intervening years, Luna 2 has definitely upgraded and fortified its facilities in a way that scarcely could have been imagined in the early 0080s.

Case in point, Wakkein casts his gaze upon a mobile suit manufacturing facility that was not present during his time as the commanding officer of Luna 2. Wakkein smiles admiringly as personnel and machinery assemble mobile suits...Javelins and Jegans, by the dozen.

 _Those kids have no idea what they're in for_ , Wakkein reflects as the _Nelson_ docks.

* * *

At the offices of Universal Century News in downtown Green Noa City, war correspondent Ken Cheng and photojournalist Jake Matthews meet with their supervisor, news director Andrew "Drew" Nettleton, sharing with the veteran newsman the footage that they acquired at great personal peril during the battle between the _Nelson_ and the mysterious squad of Rick Dias mobile suits and Braw Bro mobile armor.

Drew Nettleton first joined UCN as a teenaged intern four decades earlier - during the UC 0050s when the Zeon revolution was in its infancy. A gifted illustrator, Drew was initially assigned to the graphics department, but over the decades, put in considerable hours in nearly every department at the network. His vast body of experience, keen judgment, and dogged insistence on truth and clarity resulted in his being promoted to news director in UC 0088, shortly after the outbreak of the First Neo Zeon War.

Nettleton reviews Jake's footage for the dozenth time and shakes his head, "They may look like AEUG, but that doesn't mean they are AEUG."

Ken nods in agreement, "Something doesn't add up. For starters, AEUG disbanded at the end of the UC 0080s. While it's not impossible that it would reconvene, I see it unlikely that AEUG would go after civilian transports whose passengers are mostly Spacenoids. Also, what's the likelihood AEUG would know exactly when and where to strike at the _Nelson_?"

Jake, digging into a slice of the pizza that Nettleton ordered, adds, "I'm gonna tell you guys what my gut is telling me: I smell a rat, and if we start digging, then we're gonna end up pissing off someone with a lot of clout and the resources needed to hide the bodies."

"That's a given," Nettleton agrees, "but that's never stopped you guys before."

"I know someone on the inside," Ken feels obliged to mention, "not a flag-ranking officer, but someone who would be in the know."

"Ken, we're both dating a woman on the inside," Jake replies, "the difference between us is that my girlfriend has trust issues and I don't want to squander what little trust I do have… besides, I get the feeling that they know about as much as we do."

"Use whatever resources are available and ethical," Nettleton tells Ken and Jake, "It's our job to make sure the public has the truth, and we know that the powers that be are NOT going to volunteer that!"

* * *

The recruits march off the _Nelson_ and into the atmosphere of Luna 2. Though well accustomed to space colony environments, the recruits have never been inside a space fortress of this magnitude. First established as an Earth Federation Forces military base before the One Year War, Luna 2 has greatly expanded and developed its facilities in the intervening two decades, and is now the central hub of the EFSF in the Earth Sphere.

The recruits gaze with awe as enormous crane mechanisms hoist mobile suits high above their heads, swinging them from the cargo hold of a large military transport carrier to their docking bays.

Jolie's eyes widen as she elbows Jonah, "Hey, looky looky!"

Jonah looks upward to see three Gundam units suspended above them: three are RX-780 Centurion Gundam units, the third of which is painted a dark grey color, and one a vintage model from a past era.

"An RX-78 unit!" Jolie squeals excitedly, clasping both hands together and grinning, "Just like the one Amuro used during the One Year War!"

"Yeah...I recognize it," Jonah says, "It's pretty iconic. Everybody knows about the original Gundam, but...this one is painted differently. It's all grey instead of white with blue, yellow, and red parts."

"I didn't even know they built another one," Jolie answers, "the one Amuro used was destroyed during the Battle of A Bao A Qu."

"It's probably going to be used as part of our training," Jonah observes reasonably.

"I can't wait!" Jolie enthuses.

"That's the Gundam Unit 3, or G3," Kenta explains as he walks up to them. "I was given the last of the prototype RX-78-1 models, and Christina pilots the most advanced 78 of the One Year War."

He stares at the Gundam as if reminded of something he'd rather forget before adding, "G3 was the test bed for the magnetic coating that comes standard issue on all mobile suits today."

Jolie swings her head towards Kenta, "You piloted a Gundam during the war, Sensei? TELL US MORE!"

Deciding to change the subject to something he knew would get Jolie to drop the subject of his time spent in military service, Kenta decides to bring up G3's original pilot. "This Gundam was originally piloted by a Zeon spy," he tells them, "His name was Giorgio Miguel."

Unnoticed by Jolie, Jonah stiffens at the mention of the name, his eyes widening in shock and alarm. The response does not, however, escape Kenta or Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie, who is nearby helping to process the recruits in to Luna 2.

"Firstborn son of Admiral Carmine Miguel," Kenta finishes, "One of Zeon's most formidable naval officers."

"Too bad they didn't finish it in time for A Bao a Qu," Jolie remarks, "Amuro would have totally wrecked that stupid Zeong that Char piloted if he had this!"

"Amuro was able to overcome the Zeong even with his damaged 78," Kenta observes fairly, "Technology helps, but in the end, it comes down to the pilot. That's one thing all you need to bear in mind."

Overly impressed with her own abilities (as always), but even more impressed by the Gundams, Jolie crosses her arms insouciantly and stares up at the mobile suits, "I can handle any MS."

* * *

An hour later, Col. Peter Cairlay confers with Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie on the matter of the recruits. The two senior officers exchange notes and observations on the status of the recruits.

"The Earth Federation Forces has a lot riding on the development of these recruits, Mackenzie," Cairlay says darkly, "until the Second Century Rearmament Initiative is complete, we'll be depending on them to hold the line against any resurgent Zeon threats...judging from recent events, we need them ready ASAP."

"Is it your position, sir, that we should accelerate their training by deploying them into actual combat?" Christina asks.

"After you and your people have them proficient at the basics of mobile suit combat, yes," Cairlay answers, "With the Zeon deep into the development of Newtype MS pilots, we must respond quickly. A few of them…"

"You're referring to Cadets Jolie Minh, Jonah Michaels, and Alexandria Black, sir?" Christina finishes.

Carilay nods, "These three are the most important assets."

"They're also, in different ways, the biggest headaches," Christina amends.

"Molding them into proper Earth Federation Forces MS pilots is your responsibility," Cairlay finishes, "We eagerly await the results."

* * *

1Lt. Molly Duran shows the cockpit of the RX-78-3 to Cadet Jolie Minh. To Jolie's surprise, the internal layout is a modern linear seat system cockpit fit to the standards of UC 0098...not the vintage One Year War control setup she had been expecting.

"Wow," Jolie enthuses, checking out the inside, "You guys upgraded it!"

"We wouldn't think of sending you out in antiquated technology," Molly smiles, "It's still an RX-78, but we've modernized all sensors and control surfaces. You're not going to be at a technological disadvantage."

"Sweet!" Jolie grins, hardly able to wait.

"Unlike the one on the _White Base_ during the One Year War," Molly remarks, "this one has been treated with a special magnetic coating that makes its movements more fluid than its predecessor. Built for speed and maneuverability."

Jonah pokes his head into the cockpit and looks around, "This is the first time I've really seen something like this...at least other than at war museums."

"We're going to have a look at your unit next, Michaels," Molly says, "Come on."

Jonah and Jolie follow Molly down the deck ramp to the next mobile docked twenty meters away...another RX-78 unit.

"Wait a minute," Jolie says, running to catch up to Molly, "You guys have ANOTHER one? Shit, how many of these did the Federation actually make during the One Year War? I thought the famous one that Amuro Ray used was the only one!"

"Hah!" Molly answers, "Try seven of them! Eight if you count Lt. Colonel Mackenzie's Alex unit. The Alex and these two are the last two operational ones left. Though the Full Armor Gundam design was classified under a different designation than the Standard models."

The one that Molly guides them to is indeed different from the RX-78-3 that they had examined a few minutes earlier. Though the same basic model, this one has been outfitted with an additional thirty tons of armor and armaments not appointed to the lighter model, including a back-mounted rocket launcher and dual-barrel beam rifle mounted directly onto its right forearm.

"What a fuckin' bruiser!" Jolie looks up at the machine admiringly, "but why did we get such different units?"

Molly shrugs her shoulders and replies, "You're going to have to ask Captain Kenta about that."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the cadets are in the supply line, being issued their pilots' normal suits and helmets.

"So that's why we got tape measured last week," Jolie remarks as she accepts the helmet and normal suit from the supply sergeant.

"Of course," the supply sergeant comments caustically, "the standard sizes wouldn't fit a rinky dink runt like you."

Jolie reddens as the other cadets other than Jonah suppress their laughter, never liking to be reminded that she stands only 154 cm tall and weighs an anemic 40 kg. Alexandria, by comparison, is even shorter at 150 cm tall, but weighs 44 kg, and doesn't have the same insecurity about her sprite-like size.

"You two are the size of 6th Graders," remarks Ichimonji, one of the former Kabuki Swingers.

Jolie is about to charge the young man, fists cocked to unleash a hellacious punch, but Alexandria puts a hand on her shoulder.

"So what?" Alexandria shots back in annoyance, "Being bigger doesn't make you a better fighter, dipshit! Unless you're compensating for something, don't even try to prove anything!"

Jolie is about to lunge at Ichimonji again, but Jonah restrains her in a half nelson, pulling her back as he whispers soothingly into her ear, "Calm down."

"You need to get that damn temper under control, Minh," Kenta comments as he enters the room, "Or you're going to be the first one to die out there."

Kenta walks past Ichimonji and fixes him in a glare, "As for you, you'd better keep that mouth shut before someone decides to jam a fist down into it. You respect your teammates, understand me, Cadet?"

"Yes, sir," Ichimonji answers, not foolish enough to want the anger the Demon.

Jonah lets Jolie go as he feels her calming down.

"You OK?" he asks her.

"Yeah, yeah...just lost my head for second," Jolie says. She approaches Alexandria and exchanges a high-five with her.

"Thanks for that," Jolie says, genuinely touched, "Appreciate it."

Alexandria smiles, "Got to pick your fights, girl. Over some shit reason like that...not worth it."

As Alexandria heads towards the pilots' locker room, Jonah rubs the top of Jolie's head…meant as a gesture of affection, but Jonah grins sheepishly in recognition of his mistake when she gives him an annoyed glare.

"You too?" Jolie says wryly with a sigh.

"Hey, it's part of what makes you cute," Jonah says by way of apology.

"Eh heh heh," Jolie mock laughs, "Don't _you_ get cute...c'mon!"

Into the locker rooms, and out in five minutes, clad for MS combat training.

* * *

By 07:00, Kenta has each of the cadets in the cockpits of their respective assigned mobile suits. From the cockpit of his own Zeta-Plus unit, Kenta directs the cadets through mobile suit operation basics, focusing on staying balanced, and the nuts and bolts of ambulation and articulation.

All of this comes across as quite boring and old hat to Jolie, who had piloted the Muttmech since she was twelve years old and was more than familiar with the mere basics of MS operation.

Unable to contain herself, Jolie leans forward on the control levers, and the Gundam G3 springs forward from its maintenance dock like an Olympic sprinter upon the sound of the starting gun.

Within seconds, the sprinting G3 covers nearly half a kilometer across the deck of the mobile suit bay, Jolie's skill avoiding trampling over personnel and equipment. She punctuates the sprint with a leap, somersault, and graceful two-point landing on the G3's armored feet, 900 meters from the rest of the team and still running at speeds that would outrace the world's fastest sports cars.

The other cadets and deck crew personnel are slack-jawed from the performance, but not at all impressed is Captain Ryusuke Kenta, whose face has become a dark cloud of anger.

Kenta's Zeta-Plus takes off, its rocket thrusters accelerating it past the sprinting Gundam, a maneuver that would be impossible in such tight quarters for a lesser pilot, and lands in front of the Gundam, bringing the older MS to an abrupt halt in it tracks.

The Zeta-Plus stands in the Gundam G3's path, its arms crossed in an intimidating gesture of authority that causes Jolie to back the G3 away two steps.

"MINH!" Kenta bellows, "Don't move that MS another centimeter or I swear, I'll blow you away right here, right now!"

So saying, Kenta hovers the Zeta-Plus towards the G3, prepared to give Jolie the dressing down of her life.

"Out of there, NOW!" Kenta demands.

Figuring that she's in a world of trouble, Jolie removes her helmet, sets it on the floor of the cockpit, undoes the restraints, opens the hatch, and drifts out to face Captain Kenta.

Kenta all but tosses his helmet aside, his anger with her now completely unfiltered by its visor.

If Jolie felt short before, then she feels positively microscopic now.

"Minh…" Kenta says before taking a deep breath, calming himself before continuing, "You know that I've trained a lot of people over the years. Some of them were pretty damned thick, but I don't think any of them has ever been thicker than you. It feels like every time you make any progress, you find a way to undo it all and then some," he remarks, his tone venomous, "Two steps forward, three steps back."

"I'm sorry sir," Jolie says.

"One more screw-up, Minh," Kenta continues, "and the consequences will be of the same severity as the screw up."

"Yes, sir," Jolie says.

"You're running back to where the rest of the squad is waiting," Kenta finishes, "and I mean on your own feet. MOVE IT!"

Jolie hightails it back towards where the other cadets await. Kenta watches her become a dot in the distance.

Kenta hops the Zeta-Plus ahead of Jolie back to where the rest of the team is waiting. Kenta lands the Zeta-Plus and gives Jonah the order, "All right, Michaels. Lift that unit off the ground using the main thrusters."

From inside the cockpit of the FA-78-1, Jonah answers, "Yes, sir."

Gingerly, tentatively applying 20% thrust, Jonah perspires nervously as the heavily armored mobile suit fails to rise from the deck.

"Not enough thrust, Michaels," Kenta comments.

Jonah increases the thrust, and the FA-78-1 jumps abruptly, nearly hitting the ceiling of the Luna 2 Fortress before crashing back in a heap on the deck, causing a reverberation that knocks the other recruits and nearby maintenance personnel off their feet, groaning and cursing.

"That's TOO MUCH thrust," Kenta says through bared teeth, beginning to wonder why he agreed to train this group of misfits.

Five figures lean against the gantry railing, observing the scene with some amusement. To a man and woman, they are clad in Earth Federation Forces' officers uniforms: Major Wes Murphy, Major Matt Healy, Captain Agar Kuznetsov, Captain Audrey April, and Captain Carl Matsubara.

Murphy grins as he remarks, "Yeah...I think Kenta is going to need a little help with those cadets."

"Those are the hotshots the High Command is so high on?" Kuznetsov adds with disbelief, "Seems to me that they can hardly keep from tripping over their own shoelaces."

"Hey, we were all that bad...once," replies April.

"Speak for yourself, Audrey," Healy interjects, "I was awesome from Day One, Minute One."

Murphy drifts down from the gantry to greet Kenta as the latter opens the cockpit hatch of the Zeta-Plus. The two men exchange a handshake across the entry portal of the mobile suit.

"Captain Kenta," Wes nods to the other man, "It's been a long while."

"Good to see you, Murphy," Kenta answers, "Hate pulling you and your crew out of retirement, but I could use your help with this fresh meat I've got here."

Murphy studies them, just as Jolie comes up panting after her long sprint across the gantry, all but crashing into them as she forgets to slow down.

"Rambunctious bunch," Murphy concedes.

"You don't know the half of it," Kenta sighs, shaking his head.

* * *

During a short break as the technicians perform a spot check on the mobile suits, Kenta and Murphy discuss the recruits.

"Minh is clearly the most gifted of the bunch," Kenta says, handing Murphy a container of coffee, "but also the biggest headcase. Needs to be smacked down at least five times a day, sometimes hourly, for doing something mind-bogglingly stupid. Her boyfriend, Michaels, has a good attitude and tries hard, but he grew up soft and more often than not, it shows. Still, he's got some talent in him too. Then there's Black...who I see as ECOAS material."

"ECOAS," Murphy sighs reflectively, "That's kind of like Titans all over again."

"Not at all," Kenta rejoinds, "Darkly painted MS notwithstanding, ECOAS doesn't operate independently whatsoever. They're always attached at the hip to another unit."

"I'll take on that Minh chick," Wes smirks, "Sounds like just the type I'm good at dealing with."

"Music to my ears," Kenta nods, "and let's get Audrey to work with Jonah. He's low-maintenance in terms of discipline. Not the kind who responds best to cursing and screaming, which rules out most of us."

"It'll also put Minh's panties in a bunch," Wes points out.

Kenta smirks as he says, "That's the point."

* * *

Several minutes later, Captain Audrey April guides Jonah through a series of basic maneuvers in the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam. An hour making a world of difference, Jonah has overcome his initial unfamiliarity with a mobile suit control system and has the FA Gundam maneuvering stably, though far from masterfully.

Jonah would be the first to confess that credit should go to Captain April's gentle, patient guidance. Captain Kenta's presence had caused Jonah to feel nervous and unsettled, but Captain April's milder approach has settled his nerves and boosted his confidence.

"Power up to 45% thrust and clear that gantry," Audrey instructs, "Good...now reverse thrust. Bring us to a halt."

Some five hundred meters away, Jolie, back in the cockpit of the RX-78-3 (to which Kenta ordered her to run back to retrieve from where he had previously ordered her to abandon it), turns her head and glares in the direction of the FA-78.

"Is that Captain Audrey or whatever in that cockpit with Jonah?!" Jolie demands.

"Pay attention to your own piloting, Minh," Captain Murphy snarls, "Before you trip over a utility vehicle and crash us into the gantry."

"Yes, sir," Jolie bites out as she reluctantly turns her head away from the image of Jonah's mobile suit on the screen.

"Let's go for a run," Murphy orders, "Seems like you were pretty intent on going for a dash earlier. Here's your chance. Move us out to the northern terminus along the main serviceway...holding it steady at 85 km/h."

Jolie does not comply, distracted again by the FA-78, all but seething imagining Jonah inside that cockpit alone with that...woman.

"MINH!" Murphy thunders.

"Yes, sir!" Jolie snaps back, pushing forward on the lever and accelerating the Gundam into a run towards the northern terminus.

"Are you deaf, Minh?!" Murphy continues, "What part of 85 km/h do you not understand?! You're moving at top speed...TWICE what I ordered!"

Jolie slows it down, "Sorry, sir."

"Jesus Christ...Kenta was right about you," Murphy says caustically, "You're a headcase."

Within five minutes, Jolie has run the G3 across the expanse of Luna 2's internal bay. Captain Murphy orders her to turn the G3 around and run back to their origin point.

Jolie stops the Gundam on a dime, spins it around, and runs it back the other way, with the precision and fluidity of a professional athlete.

 _Not bad_ , Murphy nods, _Kenta_ is _right about this girl's talent...but also about her being a headcase._

Jolie spots the rest of the cadets in their MS ahead and closes in on the G3's maintenance dock.

Without warning, a GM Quel steps into the path of her Gundam. Jolie's quick reflexes enable her to avoid a disastrous collision, but she is unable to avoid the GM Quel extending its arms and pushing the Gundam onto its derriere on the deck.

"Th' hell?!" Jolie snarls, lifting the Gundam back to its feet and cocking its armored fist to throw a retaliatory punch.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Minh," Murphy interjects, "Because if you do, you're going to be booted out and blacklisted for life from the training program. I'm serious about that."

"What kind of fucking stupid orders are those?!" Jolie demands.

"The kind you'd better obey or you'll be sent back to Industria Colony at your own expense," Murphy says grimly.

The Gundam comes up in a fighting stance, and Murphy can hear Jolie's labored breathing, sensing her rage.

"Control it, Minh...control it!" Murphy orders.

Jolie tries to advance the Gundam again, and once again finds the irritating GM Quel blocking her path, bumping the Gundam with its armored shoulder.

Jolie remembers a move she used in basketball back when she was in the 4th Grade...a spin move that enabled her to get away from the defender and take the ball to the rack.

Utilizing the Gundam's adept ankles, Jolie spins her mobile suit away from the GM Quel momentarily, as she had many opponents on the basketball court during her youth. The GM Quel, however, manages to stay with her as it backpedals, bumping the Gundam yet again.

"This isn't the WBA, Minh," Murphy grins.

Notwithstanding Murphy's comments, Jolie tries a "crossover" move with the Gundam, but the GM Quel sticks with her like a shadow, bumping the Gundam again.

"I'm going to freaking kill whoever's in that thing!" Jolie rages.

Murphy taps her on the top of the helmet to remind her of the consequences if she does so.

The other cadets are treated to quite a show as the G3 spins nimbly to evade the GM Quel, but the Quel shadows her closely and blocks every avenue of progress, knocking the Gundam back several times with its shoulder.

Jolie again draws upon her childhood basketball skills and performs a "pump fake," pretending to jump the Gundam, but keeping its armored feet planted on the deck.

The GM Quel goes for it! While the Quel is in the air, Jolie speeds the Gundam past it.

As the Gundam comes to a halt, the cockpit hatch opens and Cadet Minh floats across to the hatch of the GM Quel, certain that she knows who is sitting in that GM Quel cockpit, and pounds her fists furiously against the MS's hull, screaming, "NAKAZAWA! YOU COCKSUCKING SONOFABITCH! COME OUT HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

Cadet Nakazawa emerges from a corridor, container of tea in hand, "What are you tripping on, Minh?"

Jolie stares wide-eyed at Nakazawa, standing in the doorway to the service corridor.

"B...but..." Jolie stammers as the hatch of the GM Quel opens, and to her shock, it's **Erisia** who steps out of the cockpit!

"Excuse me," she says drolly as she pushes past the completely and utterly shocked cadet and up to her father's Zeta Plus.

"Nice work out there," he tells her as he climbs out.

"Yeah, yeah I did what you want," she gripes like an impatient teenager before extending her hand, "now pay up."

Ryusuke chuckles as he pulls out a stack of tens and says, "There you go kiddo. you earned 'em."

Erisia starts counting her money as Jolie storms up to Erisia, confronting the redhead.

"You!" Jolie sputters, a finger in Erisia's face.

Erisia reaches out and grabs the delicate thumb of Jolie's extended right hand, twisting and bending it backwards with sufficient force to bring the other young woman down on one knee.

 _Just a little more and I can take her whole hand apart,_ Erisia thinks to herself. She turns to her father, who shakes his head in response.

Jolie squirms for a moment and then, incredibly, begins to rise back to her feet, her right thumb still tightly caught in Erisia's vise-like grip.

Erisia feels Jolie's joints and tendons slipping and sliding in her grasp, but holds tight. _She's trying_ _some kind of grip-release skill. This pipsqueak lacks experience and refinement, or she might be able to slip out. Still, kind of impressive._

"I can break it easily," Erisia tells her calmly, "You give?"

"No...fuckin'...way...bitch…" Jolie hisses, struggling to rise to her feet, heedless of the pain, daring Erisia to do her worst.

"Fine," the redhead replies as a sickening crack is heard, and Jolie yelps in pain.

Erisia pushes the smaller young woman down on her derriere, dropping her like a sack of trash.

Disregarding her throbbing hand, Jolie rises to her feet and prepares to charge at Erisia again, but is arrested in mid-step by Jonah, who has disembarked from the FA-78-1 and puts a hand on Jolie's shoulder before she can fly off the handle again.

"Come on, Jolie," Jonah says mildly, "It isn't worth it."

"You've got a wonderful boyfriend," Erisia says, indicating Jonah, "He just saved you from getting your ass royally trashed."

Erisia rejoins Kenta, as the daughter and father continue their private discussion elsewhere.

"Ooooh," Jolie fumes, "I'm gonna fix her, BAD! Ai-yah!"

"Let's look at that hand," Jonah says soothingly.

"It's nothing!" Jolie says, hiding her hand from Jonah, "I'm fine."

"I saw and heard your thumb break," Jonah says gently, but firmly, "We have to get you to the infirmary now before you end up crippled!"

Lt. Col. Mackenzie, who has been observing this turn of events, tells them, "Cadet Minh, report to the infirmary, now. Cadet Michaels, escort her and make sure she gets there."

"See?" Jonah says imploringly to Jolie.

"I can walk there myself," Jolie insists, "She didn't break my legs."

* * *

Ten minutes later, at the infirmary, Dr. (Captain) Cassandra Reaver, a thirtyish, bodacious, bespectacled blonde with emerald green eyes examines Jolie's mangled hand, nodding.

Dr. Reaver turns to Jolie, "I can fix this in a second, but it's going to hurt. Brace yourself."

With a deft maneuver, Dr. Reaver snaps Jolie's thumb into place.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT FUCK!"Jolie yelps as her other hand balls into a fist.

Jonah, who sees it coming, intercepts the fist with his hand, "Hey, no! Calm down! Dr. Reaver isn't the enemy!"

"You need to stop taking swings at people," Dr. Reaver tells Jolie, "then, you won't need to come here as often to get fixed. It's going to be sore for a few days. Use this tube of cream here. Apply three times a day."

"Yeah, yeah," Jolie says, flexing her fingers, and gingerly replacing her normal suit's glove.

"Just be glad my fiance isn't here," the doctor retorts with a slight smile on her red lips, "Though, I would've loved to see the look on your face when you hear what he has in mind for this kind of thing. Dismissed, Cadet!"

"What does he have in mind for…?" Jolie begins as Jonah ushers her out the door.

"Thanks, Doctor," Jonah finishes, "I'll take care of her now."

"Oooooooh, I'm gonna fix that red headed bitch," Jolie says as she stomps down the corridor, "Next time I see her, I'm gonna…!"

"You take everything too personally," Jonah continues in his earnest manner, "and that's the reason you're always angry."

"I AM NOT ALWAYS ANGRY!" Jolie explodes, shaking out her hand, which has fallen numb.

"See?" Jonah says, "You're doing it again."

"I…!" Jolie begins, and then swallows it, looking as if she's about to explode.

"Though I will say, within limits," Jonah grins, "it's cute when you get raging mad."

Jolie thumps him on the chest, causing her thumb to tingle. The pair breaks into giggles as he takes her into his arms.

* * *

The cadets' training mobile suits float out from Luna 2, mostly drifting, but using minor bursts from their vectoring thrusters to align themselves according to their trainers' specifications.

Captain Murphy observes Jolie carefully as she observes Jonah's FA-78 Full Armored Gundam five hundred meters to the right of her own RX-78-3. Murphy notes that Jolie's eyes rotated almost entirely to the right, keeping an eye on her man's mobile suit, seething internally that he's alone in that cockpit with that... _woman_.

"Cadet Minh," Murphy says probingly, "Where are your eyes?"

"Inside my head, sir," Jolie replies absently, her eyes still turned Jonah's mobile suit, "where they've always been."

Murphy, knowing that it isn't meant as a smartass remark - just another symptom of Minh's inattentiveness, draws in a breath before exploding, "EYES UP FRONT, MINH!"

"YES, SIR!" Jolie answers, her eyes rotating reluctantly back front and center, resisting the urge to turn them back towards the FA-78.

"Now, Minh," Murphy says with practiced tranquility, "Vector us ahead at 20% thrust output."

"Roger, sir," Jolie answers, leaning forward on the stick, pushing the Gundam G3 forward on a burst of Minovsky-particle thrust.

After five silent seconds, Murphy asks calmly, "Cadet Minh, when did you last attend school?"

"Fourth grade, sir," Jolie answers.

"I see," Murphy continues, "and at that point, you had learned percentages, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Jolie answers, "and fractions and ratios. I remember I got a 'C+' on the percentages test, which was pretty good for me."

"So you understand what 20% means, right, Minh?" Murphy adds.

"Yes, sir," Jolie answers.

Murphy exhales, "Look at your thrust gauge, Cadet."

Jolie, snapping out of some stray thoughts about Jonah and Captain April, looks at her thrust gauge.

"Holy shit," Jolie says.

 _Thrust Output: 120%_

Glancing at the rear monitor screen, Jolie sees that the other mobile suits have become tiny

specks in the distance.

"Bring us to a stop," Murphy sighs.

"Yes, sir," Jolie answers, applying reverse thrust.

"Minh," Murphy tells Jolie, "I recently celebrated five years of sobreity. Not a single drop of alcohol has touched my tongue in five fucking years. DON'T make me start drinking again, Cadet."

"Sorry, sir," Jolie replies meekly.

* * *

At the same time, Cadet Jonah Michaels is working up a sweat despite the internal cooling mechanisms built into his pilot's normal suit.

"Steady, Michaels," intones the firm, feminine voice of his training officer, Captain Audrey April.

Jonah gingerly maneuvers the FA-78 towards several miscellaneous pieces of debris deliberately left to drift for the purpose of his using the mobile suit's hands to grab and catch: a briefcase here, an inkjet printer there, an electric guitar, the sign of a defunct fast food restaurant…

The FA-78's massive armored right hand reaches out and engulfs the briefcase as if picking picking a nut off a tree. Transferring the object into its left hand, the FA-78 then reaches out to retrieve the inkjet printer, and the electric guitar, whose neck snaps under the misplaced pressure.

"Ease up, Michaels," Audrey advises, "That happened because you're pressing too much, literally and figuratively."

"Yes, ma'am," Jonah says, like a schoolboy trying to impress a teacher on the first day of school.

* * *

The Gundam G3 thrusts its way back to where the other mobile suits are gathered; Jolie swears the heads of the other MS are cocked to the side as if giving her stares of exasperation and annoyance.

Kenta appears in the Zeta Plus, his advanced MS standing in place behind a row of decommissioned RB-79 Balls from the One Year War, evidently ready for the scrap heap.

"What are those for, Sensei," Jolie pipes up, "Target practice?"

"Dodgeball," Kenta amends.

"You're kidding!" Jolie retorts "Dodgeball?! What kind of training program is that?!"

The Alex and two ReZELs, piloted by Captain Skoo Koo and 1Lt. Rika Maruya take positions around the cadets' mobile suits as he begins to explain, "Simple: my associates and I will throw these at you, and you will try to, DODGE!" he suddenly shouts the word, hurling the nearest Ball directly at the Gundam G3.

Jolie reflexively directs the Gundam to reach back for the beam saber customarily mounted on its rear backpack...only to find that no such weapon is mounted!

"Hey, where's…?!" Jolie's eyes widen.

The Ball slams into the G3 with bone-crushing force!

"Fuckin' A! Fuckin' A! Why isn't there a beam saber loaded?! How am I supposed to deal with these things without armaments?! THIS ISN'T FAIR!"

"STOP WHINING, MINH...JESUS!" Murphy thunders, "LOOK OUT! Here comes another one!"

Another Ball vectors towards the G3; Jolie ducks the mobile suit just in time to avoid another impact, but is bowled over by a third Ball.

Jolie struggles to regain control of her spinning Gundam. Another Ball is making its way towards her.

Jolie dives under and past it, reaching out with the Gundam's armored hands, grabbing the spherical combat pod, and preparing to hurl it back in Kenta's direction.

Before she can do so, however, she's stopped in her tracks by Kenta's Zeta-Plus getting right in her grill...the mobile suit equivalent of a nose-to-nose staredown.

"This isn't a traditional game of dodgeball Minh," he tells her, "This is a test, and the goal is to not get hit. All right, INTO CIRCLE, all of you!"

The recruits maneuver their MS into a circle roughly a kilometer in diameter, marked by tracer lights similar to those used to illuminate pathways for spacecraft into and out of space colony ports.

"Anybody else NOT play dodgeball growing up?" Kenta asks, satisfied when no hands or voices are raised.

Without further comment, Kenta directs the Zeta-Plus to hurl another Ball...this time in the direction of Cadet Jonah Michaels' FA-78!

 _Move!_ comes the psychic warning from Jolie, received an instant too late for Jonah to maneuver his mobile suit out of the way. The Full Armored Gundam takes the full brunt of the impact, causing both Jonah and Captain April to grit their teeth at the resulting shockwave.

"Slow, Michaels," Kenta remarks dryly.

Another Ball vectors towards the FA-78, but this time, Jonah is ready, hitting the thrusters to dodge another near collision. Jonah eyes the Ball's trajectory and reflexively directs a thought towards Jolie.

 _It's headed your way!_

Having noticed the Ball's approach even before Jonah's warning, Jolie dodges the incoming spherical mobile suit. The two RX-78 units are now back to back...the two pilots reflexively, involuntarily clasping the armored hands of their two mobile suits.

Four Balls bear down relentlessly upon them, approaching at several times the speed of sound.

The two Gundams turn their heads towards the incoming Balls, and then scatter like a pair of frightened mice as the Balls streak past the spot where the Gundams had floated an instant earlier.

One of the Balls changes its direction and bears down on Jonah's FA-78. Jolie's G3 grabs its companion Gundam by the hand and swings it out of the way of the incoming Ball. An instant later, a second Ball is about to ram the G3's back, only to be kicked away like a football by the FA-78's powerful right leg.

"Didn't anybody here play dodgeball growing up?" Kenta remarks with exasperation, "You damn Zeros...probably not a single one of you grew up playing on the streets. Addicted to your damn handheld games."

"You're starting to sound like an old geezer, Ryusuke," Christina chides gently, "'Git off mah lawn, ya darn kids!'"

Kenta cannot help smiling, "I think training this group of jokers has aged me three years per day."

The ring reforms, and Kenta's dire remarks notwithstanding, the "Zeros" do begin to get the idea. Skoo, Rika, and Christina toss a "Ball" around and then, with abrupt force, Skoo throws the Ball towards Jolie's Gundam G3.

Nakazawa's mobile suit floats slightly to the right of the Gundam G3, out of the trajectory of the rapidly approaching Ball, until with a sudden motion, the G3 shoves Nakazawa's unit into the Ball's path. The Ball strikes Nakazawa's mobile suit in the midsection, causing Nakazawa to unleash a litany of curse words in his native Japanese.

" _Seiko suru_ to you too, you motherfucker!" Jolie declares gleefully.

"You going to do that to your allies in combat too, Minh?" Kenta says.

"I…" Jolie protests.

"Get back into position, Minh!" Kenta bellows.

The Gundam G3 takes position, again keeping Nakazawa's mobile suit between itself and the ring.

"Might want to get that pipe and wheelchair ready," Kenta sighs to Christina.

* * *

After the day's training ends, Kenta looks over the cadets as they line up. "We'll see about putting in more time tomorrow… dismissed, go hit the showers."

They immediately disperse except for Jolie, who wears a scowl on her face.

"Follow me, Minh," he tells her with a sigh, "I'm clearly gonna need to have another talk with you."

She follows Kenta into his office, clearly fuming. A smoldering phoenix.

"Tell me something, Jolie," Ryusuke asks, using her first name for the first time she can remember, "Do you think Jonah's the type to cheat on you?"

Jolie is stunned... and actually ashamed... she knows Jonah would never cheat on her... "N-No, sir."

"What you have to realize that in order for Jonah to grow as a soldier, he requires a gentle touch... something only Captain April can provide," he explains, "You, however, require a much firmer touch due to your rambunctious nature... do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good... you may leave."

Before Jolie steps through the door, Kenta adds in an almost fatherly tone, "If you and Jonah are meant to be as much as you both feel you are, petty distrust and jealousies are absolutely unnecessary...especially as both of you are Newtypes."

Taking in that piece of well-lived wisdom, Jolie leaves without another word.

* * *

Jolie steps into the female cadets' locker, where Grace/Alexandria, Maria, and the Pachis twins are already are already unzipping and doffing the jackets of their duty uniforms.

"Got lost on the way to the locker?" Maria teases Jolie archly.

"No," Jolie replies as she opens her assigned locker, "Captain Kenta wanted to talk to me."

"In trouble again, as always," Maria sighs.

"Nothing like that at all!" Jolie retorts, "He wanted...it's none of your business, anyway!"

"OK, OK, stop being so defensive, Minh," Maria replies as she hangs up her uniform jacket, "just yanking yer chain."

"Put a sock in it," Jolie says bitterly, and then, changing the subject, asks, "Hey, you know that GM Cannon II you got assigned? I want to know…"

"Please," Maria answers, unhooking the clasps on her sizable bra, "I've had enough mobile suits for the day. Don't ya ever quit?"

"She's an MS nerd," Agnes interjects playfully, "our dear Cadet Minh is in love with her Gundam. Hey, Jolie...does Jonah know you're cheating on him with a Gundam?"

Jolie offers both Maria and Agnes a snarky mock grin, but before her rage can simmer over, she catches sight of Maria's naked body from behind as the taller young woman enters the shower.

Jolie feels her cheeks heating up with a blush at the sight, and she can't for the life of her fathom why.

Jolie immediately shakes the image from her head as Cadet Black walks past with a childlike skip in her step...Grace is apparently the one in control right now.

Grace stands there perplexed and asks, "OK, now what?"

Jolie blinks, "It's a shower. Haven't you ever used a shower, Grace?"

"No, I-" Grace frowns as her mood sours, recalling that she never really bathed as it was a luxury to her, "Alex always does it, but she's sleeping. I'll figure it out! Can't be too hard!"

Jolie blinks again before sighing. This is going to be so weird. "First, we need to undress."

Grace gasps, "Scandalous!"

Momentarily, however, she is completely naked before Jolie even has time to register what had just happened.

"OK, now what?" Grace demands, arms crossed.

"You put your clothes in one of the empty lockers," Jolie replies as she takes her own uniform off and puts its components into an empty locker, "like this."

Grace follows instructions and waits expectantly for Jolie to tell her more. "Now we walk into the showers and get clean."

Grace pauses briefly as she realizes that she is going to be naked in front of other people. A brief shudder runs through her as she thinks of the dead priest waiting to punish her for bathing without permission. She feels an itch to grab the spoon and comes to the chilling conclusion that she is vulnerable in the nude, with nothing to protect her.

"Grace?" Jolie pokes her head back into the locker room, startling the shorter from her dark thoughts, "You coming? Or embarrassed? It's just us girls, ya know!"

Girls. No boys, no men, and certainly no dead men. She exhales in relief for a moment before she planted her usual Cheshire smile back on her face, "Sorry, sorry! Got distracted by a bug is all!"

Jolie's eyes widen, and she grabs a nearby bottle of shampoo and demands, "Where's that damn bug? Let me smash it!"

Grace giggles at her, "Silly, Dovey! I killed it already! All is good! Come on! Next step, next step, next step!"

"Just do what the other girls are doing,"Jolie replies as she goes to her own shower and turns it on. Water begins falling on the top of her head and flows downward.

Taking Jolie's advice, Grace looks around the showers to see what the other girls were doing.

Jolie starts working the water through her hair, and Grace notes the Asian girl's lithe body is similar to her own, slender and petite, but gracefully contoured. Next are the twins, who are currently covered in bubbles and rubbing their hands all over their individual selves. Grace can see the muscles on their bodies...athletic and robust. Then, there's the tall one with the funny accent. She stands statuesque under the shower, arms by her side, facing the wall. Grace suddenly finds herself curious about Maria's body, so different from the physiques of the other girls. She's tall, has wide hips, and the biggest chest she's ever seen. Grace KNOWs this girl is strong too... stronger than the twins... but her body doesn't have the same kind of muscles as the twins...this makes her curious.

"Hey," Jolie pipes up, sniffing the bar of soap in her hand, "This stuff is Helen Helen brand soap!"

"What about it?" Agatha asks.

"This shit's expensive...a luxury brand soap that models, movie stars, and rich old ladies use," Jolie tells them, "My dad bought a pack of three bars for my mom on their tenth anniversary, and she was so happy to get it because she never would have spent that much money on it for herself. It cost like 5% of his monthly paycheck! How the hell can the Federation afford to stock the showers with this shit?!"

"Because Helen Helen Soap is a proud supporter of the military," Lt. Colonel Christina Mackenzie interjects as she walks into the shower, followed by Captain Athena Ibaz, "It's why so many women enlist: just to try that soap once in their lives."

The cadets stand agape at the sight of the two senior officers, unclad as they themselves are, their physiques more elegant than the finest Grecian statues of antiquity.

Christina giggles as she adds, "It's also why we stock the recruit barracks back at Side 7 with cheap store brand soap: it helps us weed out those who aren't cut out for this that much sooner."

Shaking off their momentary shock, the cadets quickly salute the two officers, Grace and Jolie scurrying to do so a second later than the others, before Christina returns the salute with a crisp, "At ease, Cadets."

"You're all on the home stretch," Athena tells them, "If you can make it through the next few weeks of training, you'll be official members of the Earth Federation Forces. That being said, Lt. Col. Mackenzie tells me that Captain Kenta is going to make this the most intense part of your training. Do NOT expect that things are going to get easier from here on out. But those of you who persevere will have a military career in the Federation, whatever it may end up being. Now, let's get clean!"

"Ma'am," the cadets salute.

Athena takes the shower head adjacent to Jolie, turning the spigot to allow hot water to cascade down upon her sleek, willowy form, closing her eyes as the water pours down upon her head and face.

Until now, Jolie had never seen as much as Athena's bare foot. To see Athena standing there in her naked glory, looking very much like her goddess namesake, fills Jolie with a strange sensation that thrills, terrifies, and confuses her at the same time.

Jolie brings the nails of her right hand to her lips, unconsciously biting down on them as her eyes greedily drink in Athena's image under the adjacent showerhead.

 _Oh my God, what's wrong with me?_ Jolie wonders, _Why am I feeling like this?_

"It's not polite to stare, Cadet Minh," Lt. Col. Mackenzie calls out from her own showerhead across the communal shower room, "Face up!"

"R-right, ma'am," Jolie stammers, forcing herself to turn away and splash her own face with water from the showerhead.

Christina then notices that Grace has quietly snuck over to Cadet O'Rourke's position, the childish half of the dual persona watching the Irishwoman's mountainous rack jiggle with each movement. Tempted to feel the soft melons, Grace reaches out slowly with a curiosity-filled stare.

"Grace, it's not nice to touch others without permission, either." Christina chides in a scolding tone.

Grace freezes momentarily before retracting her hand in defeat. She reminds the Lt. Colonel of a child who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Given, Christina doubts that Grace ever had a cookie in her life, or anything else sweet for that matter. Christina heard much about Grace when Ryusuke returned from Side One after the incident there more than a decade ago.

Christina honestly believes it would be better to put Grace in a place where she and Alexandria can work out their issues. Opening Grace's sealed memories caused the pair to become too unstable to continue their recruitment training. However, Ryusuke is more convinced that they are better off remaining here than in some mental ward. Especially after today's test results with Alexandria, who seems far more advanced than the rest of the group. Ryusuke said he would look into it later, but Christina grows concerned that Grace might put her in a dangerous situation.

At the same time, Athena is also scrutinizing Grace, assessing the mysterious, talented young woman with a mind towards claiming her counterpart as an asset to her goals. Alexandria Black holds high marks in Athena's book; she is definitely more refined than the other cadets by a long shot, and her raw talent level rivals Jolie's. If ECOAS were not already gunning for Cadet Black, she would fit perfectly with the Centurion Team. Nevertheless, Athena isn't one to give up that easily...

Grace Sullen is a different matter: an anomaly to Athena's plans. Athena has read about split personality disorder, but didn't think that it would be this chaotic. Grace is far more curious and irrational compared to her more mature counterpart. It is highly possible that Grace can easily derail her plans if she were not put under some sort of control.

Despite such considerations, she wants both aspects. Athena is canny enough to know it's unlikely she would get one without getting the other at the same time. Alexandria and Grace are a package deal. It's a gamble Athena is willing to risk. For now, she'll quietly monitor their progress. Moreover, even if they do end up in ECOAS, there's still a chance of their being assigned to the Centurion Team alongside Lucien Ashworth, who both personalities seem to have history with.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the showers done, the cadets return to the locker room to reclaim their uniforms.

"Got caught doing the peekaboo with Captain Ibaz, eh, Minh?" Maria teases archly.

"I feel like a slut now," Jolie says meekly, as she brushes her now medium length, dark, damp hair.

Maria answers, "Yer already a slut."

Jolie throws the hairbrush across the room in Maria's general direction, but does not hit her, exploding forward with a right jab at the buxom Irish lass, "WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU SAY THAT?!"

Maria catches Jolie's fist in her hand and says, "Ya really need to get yer temper under control, because I could easily snap ya like a twig."

The tall young woman releases Jolie and adds, "And I've seen the way ya dress Minh, with a skirt so small yer ass is pretty much hanging out...and those Daisy Dukes shorts that are practically a thong."

Jolie crosses her arms and tilts her head up to glare at Maria, "So?"

Maria sighs, "Ask yerself this: how many people have tried to buy yer services?"

Jolie opens her mouth to reply, but no sound emerges as remembers more than a dozen occasions back at Industria Colony when men have indeed tried to buy her "services," to say nothing of those times other men threatened her with knives and guns, and only her wits and fighting skill saved her. Her face turns a deep shade of red as her shame multiplies.

Maria puts a comforting hand on the shoulder of the now subdued Jolie, "Look, I get wanting to look sexy for ya boyfriend, but showing off the goods to a bunch of random strangers sends the wrong kinda message. I'm not saying ya should dress like a prude, but try to dress a little more modestly when in public...and save the good stuff for when it's just the two of ya."

Jolie silently finishes donning her cadet uniform, sealing the collar uncharacteristically high.

"And I'll be sure to give you a good roll in the hay later Gracie," Maria adds.

* * *

An uncharacteristically glum and dejected Cadet Jolie Minh trudges towards the cadets' barracks, but her steps are soon arrested by the mournful sound of a violin...a sound that mesmerizes her and draws her to its source...a sound that reaches deeply into her soul.

Jolie locates the source of the doleful melody into the opened door of an officer's quarters. Through the darkness, she spots a familiar, willowy feminine figure playing an aged Stradivarius.

' _Thena_ , Jolie realizes, eyes widening, _I didn't know she played violin! It sounds...beautiful. She's...beautiful._

As her ears drink in the music, Jolie's eyes fall upon Athena, simultaneously relieved and disappointed that the junior officer is once again clad in her uniform - _sans_ jacket, hat, and overcoat, which lie draped on the room's desk and chair.. The memory of Athena's gloriously naked form causes Jolie to blush in both embarrassment and excitement.

Athena brings the tune to an end, and without turning to face her visitor, asks, "Can I help you, Jolie?"

"Um, ah…" Jolie begins nervously, "No...no. I just heard you playing and came in. That was great! Was it Beethoven?" pronouncing it "bee" "though" "van."

"You wouldn't know it," Athena tells her, setting the Stradivarius back in its case, "An original piece by a composer from the 21st Century whose identity has been lost to time. So you stopped in here just for a personal serenade?"

"I…" Jolie begins, rescued from the awkwardness of the moment by the trill of Athena's smartphone.

"I need to take this call," Athena says, checking the number and stepping into the adjoining room.

Jolie, left alone for the moment, spots Athena's uniform jacket, hat, and overcoat, and seeing that Athena is momentarily occupied on the phone, picks up the items.

She first dons the hat, which fits her head well. Then, Jolie puts on the jacket...its sleeves slightly too long for her, and drapes the dark overcoat over her shoulder. Jolie turns to the mirror, seeing her own mock "Athena Ibaz" image reflected back at her.

"Sexy," Jolie grins, throwing several debonair poses.

"You'll look great in that some day," Athena's voice strikes in, "but you'll need to earn it."

"Oh, 'Thena!" Jolie turns her head, startled, towards the other young woman, "Sorry! I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Athena says "That was Captain Kenta. He was filling me in on your and the other recruits' progress today."

Jolie turns towards the mirror again, admiring the image reflected back at her, but then becomes downcast.

"It's no use," Jolie says glumly, "I can never be like you, 'Thena!"

Athena puts a comforting hand on Jolie's shoulder, "You're not supposed to be me. We're two different people."

"But you're everything I want to be," Jolie says through wide, moist eyes, "Everytime I fuck up out there and get called out by Captain Kenta or the other senior officers, I feel so stupid! I wish...I wish I were like you."

"Jolie," Athena says earnestly, seating herself on her bed, "I recruited you into the Federal Forces because you have a talent that we haven't seen since Amuro Ray. It's possible you could even surpass him someday, but you need to focus."

"Now you're sounding like Captain Kenta," Jolie remarks acidly.

"I believe in you," Athena smiles encouragingly, "Before long, I'm going to be trusting you with my life, and the lives of those under my command, including yourself."

Jolie crouches in front of Athena, their faces close, their eyes locked, "I just hope you don't end up regretting it."

Their lips touch, their eyes close, and their hearts race.

Jolie abruptly pulls away, her hands flying to her lips as she realizes what she's done, "I-I'm sorry! I-I...didn't mean…!"

Athena, shaking off the momentary surprise, stares at Jolie for a quick moment...flashing back to Hathaway Noa at the Dragon and Phoenix Restaurant in Shanghai over a year ago...to Jordan Vance, four years dead in St. Moritz.

Athena reaches out and takes the trembling Jolie into her arms, pulling her closer as they resume their passionate kiss.

After a long minute, they disengage to breathe.

"I…," Jolie begins, "I had no idea…"

Athena smiles, "Neither did I."

"I…" Jolie begins, "I don't feel like going back to the barracks tonight."

Athena considers that for a moment, and then closes and locks the door to her quarters.

* * *

Kenta walks into his temporary office at Luna 2. While it isn't grand, it's simple enough to serve its intended purpose while he trains the cadets in MS combat. Closing the door, however, he begins searching for bugs of the eavesdropping sort. He doesn't need anyone listening in to the call he is about to make.

After fifteen minutes of searching, three bugs lie out on his temporary desk before being crushed by a paperweight with horrible handwriting on it. He smiles at the irony. Satisfied with their destruction, he pulls out his phone, dialed the number for the second time, and takes a seat as the phone begins to ring.

"What did she do this time?" the Major answers with a sigh.

"Nothing," Kenta responds calmly.

"Nothing?!" surprise fills the Major's tone, "Kenta, I've known you since the One Year War. You don't just call for shits and giggles! What are you not telling me?!"

"I could ask you the same thing actually, " Kenta begins, "I gave the recruits a pop quiz today for their mobile suit training. To see how well each cadet can dodge targets…Cadet Black passed with flying colors."

There comes muttered curses on the other end before he hears a sigh, "I told her to lay low and to stop showing off!"

"I'll ask again, Major John Maddox: What are you not telling me about Alexandria Black?" Kenta restates the question firmly.

There follows a pause as Kenta waits for the man to answer. He knows the man can't hide whatever it is he's keeping in the dark, especially if it involves the girl. This man had been with him during the One Year War. Kenta knows Maddox wouldn't do things without a purpose.

A sighed alerts him that Maddox is willing to talk as he hears, "Where do I even begin?"

"How about the part where I handed her off to you?" Kenta suggests.

"Yeah," Maddox agrees, "I suppose that's as good a spot as any…"

* * *

At 01:00, the Londo Bell Special Forces' MS docking and maintenance facility is on graveyard shift...relatively quiet. Most of the maintenance staff has turned in for the day, and the facility is under the supervision of a skeleton security crew.

Tonight, Chief Warrant Officer Henry McKeever is on overnight watch duty. It's a dull assignment, but has the advantage of being quiet. Officially, his duty is to keep his eyes glued to the multiple live feeds from security cameras placed at various strategic angles of the facilities, but most nights, whoever has the assignment that night (and it's Henry tonight) is free to do what he wants.

Dull as the job is, and ungodly as its hours are, the break room for the station is said to serve the strongest coffee ever brewed by humanity. One junior officer, who had enjoyed normal sleeping habits since childhood, was actually put on medical leave for a week after drinking the brew gave him chronic insomnia.

With one eye on the eight monitor screens that reveal nothing other than six Hizack mobile suits (surplus from the Gryps War era) recently delivered by the Supply Corps for use in the MS pilot cadets' training, Henry scans the September, UC 0098 issue of _Playboy_ , his left eye ogling the two-page centerfold spread of Miss September in her curvaceous nude glory when he abruptly puts the magazine away into the drawer of the desk as he hears the clatter of boots approaching in the distance.

McKeever rises to attention and salutes, "Colonel Cairlay, sir."

"At ease, Chief," Cairlay returns the salute, "I'm here to perform an inspection on those Hizacks; they will be used for tomorrow's training operation."

"Yes, sir," Chief McKeever replies, "Let me open the security gate for you, sir."

"Before that," the colonel smiles his friendliest smile, which somehow has the effect of making him look even creepier, "let's stop by the break room for a cup of coffee. This station is notorious for serving the strongest brew to be found anywhere."

"Yes, sir," Henry agrees, eyes widening, "I won't argue with that sir."

"You go open the security gate, Chief," Cairlay tells McKeever, "I'll grab the coffee."

"Yes, sir," Henry affirms.

As Chief McKeever goes ahead to the security gate, Cairlay enters the brightly lit break room. Taking the coffee pot, whose contents smell like boiled turpentine, his back turned to the security camera, Cairlay pours out a cup of the foul brew for himself before surreptitiously dropping a capsule into the pot.

After a minute, Cairlay pours out a second cup of coffee and stalks over to where McKeever has just opened the security gate.

"All ready, sir," Chief McKeever announces.

"Thank you, Chief," Cairlay says as he hands McKeever the second cup of coffee, "I'll be there perhaps twenty, thirty minutes. Inspecting these MS drones for tomorrow's cadet training."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," McKeever answers as he takes the coffee.

"Drink up," Cairlay smiles, "It's going to be a long night."

"Yes, sir," McKeever answers.

"You may return to your duty station, Chief," Cairlay tells him, "I will let you know if I need anything further."

"Right, sir," McKeever salutes, returning to his duty station.

Ten minutes later, back at his desk, McKeever begins to feel drowsy...curious that even the station's notoriously strong brew can't keep his eyes open tonight. He puts his head down on the desk and within seconds, falls into deep oblivion.

Cairlay, observing this from the MS gantry, boards the lead drone unit, an RMS-106S Hizack Custom, and enters its cockpit. He accesses the mobile suit's AI coding, and sets to work.

Cairlay inserts a thumbnail drive into the input jack of the MS's combat computer. Momentarily, the main forward data screen flickers to life, indicating: "OVERRIDING STANDARD PROGRAMMING; UPLOADING REAPER PROTOCOL."

* * *

03:00. Captain Athena Ibaz's quarters.

The darkness is illuminated by a match lighting a cigarette. In the dim light provided by the freshly lit cigarette held between her teeth, Athena sits upright in her bed, pensively exhaling a column of smoke.

Next to her, Cadet Jolie Minh lies asleep. Momentarily, Jolie stirs, perhaps awoken by the scent of cigarette smoke.

"Oh, hey…'Thena," Jolie says blearily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "What time is it?"

Athena exhales another column of smoke before answering, "Just after 03:00."

"Oh, shit!" Jolie's eyes widen as she tries to scramble out of bed.

"Relax," Athena says softly, gently taking Jolie's arm and keeping her in bed, "Reveille is still an hour away. What are you planning to do out there?"

"But…" Jolie begins.

"I'll explain it to Captain Kenta," Athena finishes, nonplussed.

Athena extracts her partly smoked cigarette from between her lips and places it between Jolie's.

Jolie takes a deep drag from the cigarette and exhales, smiling, "That really hits the spot."

"First time?" Athena asks.

"Not exactly," Jolie answers, "I used to pick up leftover ciggies at Industria. Usually couldn't afford fresh ones."

"Not what I meant," Athena says as Jolie sits upright next to her.

"Oh," Jolie answers, catching on, "Well...no, I mean yes...I mean...I didn't know that I...that you…"

Athena nods, "It surprised me too."

"Look," Jolie says, "I'm sorry if…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Athena asks.

"I…" Jolie begins, not knowing how to continue, "I just thought…"

Athena doesn't let her finish, saying, "Jolie, last night was absolutely wonderful, but it can never happen again. You're already in a relationship with Jonah, and this isn't fair to him. If you weren't in said relationship, I would have no reservations about exploring this side of our relationship. That said, you do know how to show a girl a good time, and I'm happy you were my first."

"First?" Jolie wonders, "Are you kidding? I mean, I might be the first...well, what I mean is, I can't believe a chick as hot as you has never…"

"I spent much of my life on the run," Athena explains, "It hasn't given me much time to…"

The mention of time causes Jolie to butt out the expended cigarette and rise from the bed to pull on her bikini thong and uniform top, "Shower?"

"You first," Athena offers.

"Together?" Jolie counters, smiling.

"Why not?" Athena responds, rising from bed.

* * *

Less than an hour later, the pair is in the office of Captain Ryusuke Kenta, who glares at Jolie severely before rumbling, "Explain the reason you were AWOL last night, Cadet Minh."

Jolie opens her mouth, but is silenced by a gesture from Athena, "Captain Kenta, if I may."

"Go ahead, Captain Ibaz," Kenta answers.

"Cadet Minh sought my guidance last night," Athena explains evenly, "she had a number of issues related to the training she needed help resolving. We lost track of time as we discussed matters. I apologize: it was as much if not more my fault for not being mindful of the time."

Kenta studies Athena for a moment before replying, "Both of you know better than that, especially you, Ibaz. You're a senior officer; you're supposed to be the responsible one here."

"You're right, sir," Athena answers meekly.

"Don't let it happen again," Kenta says in a tone that indicates that he expects nothing less than full compliance.

* * *

Another hour later, the cadets are milling around the MS maintenance dock gantry, waiting for Captain Kenta to arrive.

Jolie is shuffling her feet near the boarding ramp of the RX-78-3 G3 Gundam, chewing the fingers of her normalsuit-gloved hand.

Jonah floats by, on his way to the FA-78-1, alights next to Jolie and puts his hands gently around her shoulders, "Can't stand still for even a minute. Too much coffee this morning?"

"Nup," Jolie replies, "Only three cups."

Jonah stares at her silently.

"Decaf, I swear," Jolie adds, still shuffling her feet as if dancing to the latest pop tune.

"You're going to have to pee later," Jonah chides gently, "or are you already doing the PP dance right now?"

"Nup," Jolie replies, "Just can't wait to get started."

Captain Kenta arrives on the deck, bellowing, "FALL IN!"

The cadets stand at attention in front of the cockpits of their mobile suits.

"Combat training with drones this morning, kiddies," Kenta tells them with a relish, "Hope you're all awake and alert."

Taking note of Jolie's wide, glassy eyes, Kenta asks, "You OK, Minh?"

"Absolutely, sir!" Jolie answers, perhaps a little too zestfully.

"Board your mobile suits," Kenta instructs the cadet crew.

* * *

Jolie boards the RX-78-3 and straps in, putting the helmet on her head and sealing the visor. She activates the Gundam's combat computer and proceeds to review the computer's database of mobile suits, mobile armors, combat aerospacecraft, and space warships

"All right," Kenta announces from the cockpit of his Zeta-Plus, "Black, Minh, Michaels, O'Rourke, both Pachis. You six will form Squad A with Black as Squad Leader. You ready?"

"Affirmative, sir" comes the collective reply from all but Alexandria.

"Sir," she pipes up over the comms, "I'm not sure I'm qualified for squad leader. I…"

 _I've only followed orders._ Alexandria thinks to herself.

Kenta raises a brow, "This is only a drill, Cadet Black. My job is to test yours as well as everyone else's skills. This is merely another test to show me what you are capable of. Do I make myself clear?"

Alexandria seems reluctant, but nods, "Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

"MOVE OUT!" Kenta barks.

The cadets' mobile suits catapult off the deck and into the silent vacuum of the cosmos.

* * *

Within five minutes of their sortie, the cadets pick up a warning on their MS combat computers.

"Six incoming," Jolie notes, studying the ID Scan, "Five standard RMS-106 Hizacks, and the lead unit is a -106CS Custom. Armament configuration: 120mm Zaku machine guns. 3-tube missile pods on both sides of each leg. The Custom is outfitted with a long barrel Zaku machine gun. They all have heat rods and heat hawks. They're armed to the teeth."

"Are there pilots aboard?" Alexandria wonders aloud across the comnet.

"Negative," Kenta replies, "AI-guided."

"They're scanning us," Jonah reports.

"Black, get your squad into combat formation," Kenta orders.

"Yes, sir, " Alexandria acknowledges before ordering, "Black to all units: Position 1!"

Responding to Alexandria's commands, the cadets position their mobile suits in a loose formation that allows a wide amount of space between each mobile suit, minimizing the likelihood of their all being eliminated in one strike, but also increasing the chance that each of them could become isolated in the midst of a melee.

The Hizacks abruptly deploy Goop-loaded radar-guided missiles from their leg-mounted launch tubes. Acting on their programming, the Hizacks deploy one missile each.

"Activate Minovsky ECM countermeasures," Alexandria instructs the squad.

ECM countermeasures activate, diverting some, but not all of the incoming missiles, including one that has homed in on Jolie's G3. Minovsky Particle technology has hampered ECM-guided ballistic warfare, but not eliminated it altogether.

"Minh," Alexandria exhales, "You've got a Sinker your six, closing fast! Impact in twenty seconds and counting!"

J-44 Shinigami General Purpose Cruise Missile - nicknamed "Sinkers" for their capacity to sink the largest space-faring vessels.

Jolie knows Gundam absolutely cannot outrun the incoming missile. She considers turning around and using the Gundam's arm-mounted shield to absorb the impact, but she's pretty certain that the impact and Goop spillage would disable or outright wreck the Gundam.

"Impact in ten seconds and counting," the G3's combat computer announces.

"Oh, fuckin' A!" Jolie bites out, realizing she has only one desperate chance, and it isn't a good one.

Jolie spins the G3 around and takes aim at the rapidly advancing missile with the Gundam's head-mounted vulcan cannon.

Jolie lets loose with three bursts...the latter two of which were unnecessary as the first burst is sufficient to destroy the incoming missile 500 meters out.

Alexandria's GM Sniper comes up close to Jolie's Gundam, offering a metal-shod thumbs up and Alexandria's verbalized, "Nice shot, Minh."

Before Jolie can thank Alexandria, they both become cognizant of another Hizack bearing down on them.

"I'll handle this," Jonah offers, his FA-78 appearing on the scene.

The FA-78 swings its shoulder-mounted 360mm rocket launcher, which has been outfitted with Goop shells, and opens fire.

The shot goes wide, missing the Hizack and nearly striking Captain Kenta's Zeta-Plus, which deftly dodges the shell.

The Zeta-Plus appears to give the FA-78 a unapproving glare as Kenta says, "Michaels, I know a blind man with better aim than that."

"Sorry," Jonah says contritely, turning red behind the visor of his helmet.

"They're standing in a cluster, Jonah," Jolie points out, "golden opportunity to get 'em all!"

Jonah nods and sets the target scope in front of his helmet visor. He lets rip with six of the Full Armor Gundam's missiles...Raytheon AMS-99 Kestrel micro-missiles, outfitted with avionics by Brandis Industries...four from the legs and two from the shoulder.

The Hizacks scatter. Five of them dodge the incoming missile fire, but one takes a direct hit and shuts down as Goop seeps into its internal systems.

"Not going to be that easy, Michaels," Kenta comments, "but congratulations on scratching your first."

As if prompted by Kenta's remark, a Hizack produces its electronic paralysis rod (EPR) and bears down on the FA-78 with an arcing slash that threatens to catch the Full Armor Gundam on the side of its head/camera unit.

Jonah is resigned to taking the clash and being sidelined from the rest of the training operation, but the Hizack is knocked back a good 1200 meters before it engages its thrusters to compensate.

The body block was administered by Jolie's RX-78-3, which has extracted the Gundam's own EPR and stands at the ready, with the Gundam's Federation starcross-emblazoned, coffin-shaped shield held forward, signaling confrontation.

The Hizack, Unit 303 by its armor markings, has reoriented itself and regained its bearings. Its monoeye stares coldly at the Gundam G3.

They face each other across the 1200 meter expanse of space.

"Oh, this is gonna be GOOD!" Maria enthuses.

After a long, silent moment, Unit 303 and G3 charge at each other, face to face. Each one accelerating to 280 knots.

Unit 303 fires Goop cartridge rounds from its modified Zaku machine gun; Jolie intercepts the incoming shells with the Gundam's arm-mounted shield.

Jolie leads in with a barrage of Vulcan cannon Goop fire, hitting the Hizack's head unit and disabling its monoeye and sensor suite.

Unit 303 wriggles erratically, unable to focus or direct its EPR before the rod of Jolie's Gundam G3 strikes it horizontally across its midsection, shutting 303 down completely.

Jolie has no time to savor the victory before two other Hizacks...Units 302 and 305, bear down on her from the eight and four o'clock positions, one with an electric paralysis tomahawk (EPT) and the other with its EPR drawn and bearing down to slash at the G3.

Jolie uses the Gundam's coffin-shaped shield to intercept the slash of Unit 302's EPT while simultaneously spinning the Gundam to the right to slash horizontally across the upper torso of Unit 305. As Unit 305 shuts down, the G3 continues its spinning arc and pulls away the shield to poke Unit 302 in the midsection...a maneuver that, if done using an actual beam saber, would have burned a hole directly through the cockpit of the Hizack.

Only Unit 306 and Unit 301...the command Custom unit, remain.

Unit 306 takes aim with its Zaku machine gun and lets fly with a burst of Goop cartridges. The cadet squad raises their mobile suits' arm-mounted shields to intercept the incoming fire.

"Dibs on this one," Cadet Maria O'Rourke tells the others as her RGC-83 GM Cannon II launches forward.

Instead of selecting from the GM Cannon II's array of long-ranged weaponry, Maria elects to go counterintuitive and test her mobile suit's overlooked close-in combat capabilities. The GM Cannon II thrusts forward until it is within direct contact range of Hizack Unit 306, and then, unexpectedly, removes the shield from its mounting on its left arm. The GM Cannon II holds its shield in both armored hands from its blunter top end, and then SWINGS the shield horizontally at the Hizack with brutal, armor-crushing force!

The impact causes the Unit 306's monoeye to momentarily flicker.

"What do ya think i am, a fuckin damsal in distress, you fuckin' jackass?!" Maria spits out, battering the Hizack with a second blow that causes its monoeye to black out completely and the piping around its head unit to tear loose like a broken whisker.

"My ma can fight better than yer sorry tin ass!" Maria snarls, battering the Unit 306 again, causing the head unit to cave in on one side and its vent "mouthpiece" to fall off.

"Sorry, my da had better manners!" Maria growls, striking the Unit 306 a fourth time, what remains of its head unit now barely recognizable.

"I hope they scrap ya, ya tin can!" Maria screams, clobbering the Unit 306 with another blow from the shield that decapitates the Hizack.

"Yer maw was a fucking toaster!" finishes Maria, with a final blow from the shield to the body of the Hizack, causing it to seemingly reach out desperately final futile attempt to carry out its functions before going limp.

By this time, the cadets are doubled over laughing in their cockpits after Maria's brutally efficient and...poetic use of the GM Cannon II's shield. Even Kenta cannot help smiling.

 _Unbeknownst to the cadets and their training officer, the string of digital code that operates the AI of their sparring partners suddenly cuts off, and is replaced by a new string, unseen on the screen of the automated Hizack Custom's unoccupied cockpit: "Training Protocol override; now uploading REAPER Protocol."_

"All right," Kenta tells the still laughing cadets, "Get your shit together, we're...hold on a sec...SCRAMBLE!"

Kenta's warning comes too late for the Pachis Twins and Maria, whose mobile suits are abruptly paralyzed by unexpected blasts from the Goop-armed machine gun of the lead Hizack Unit 301, the Hizack Custom.

"What the fu…?" Jolie begins, as she dodges the Gundam G3 out of the way of the stream of Goop cartridges.

"It's not behaving according to the training program settings," Kenta warns the cadets, "Back off. I'll handle this."

The Hizack Custom extracts its EPR and draws it back in both armored hands, hilt held just beneath its monoeye. It lunges forth with a vicious thrusting motion that Kenta parries.

Jolie's eyes water...and then burn.

 _I...I know that strike...I KNOW THAT STRIKE!_

Jolie is suddenly transported back to October 6, UC 0092...her tenth birthday. Once again, she sees Quebec Colony of Side 5...her childhood home...burn.

Once again, she sees Phobos Division Geara Dogas penetrating the colony's outer hull, blasting their weapons against civil defense forces and civilians alike.

She sees again her brother, Jean Michel, impaled on a sheet of shrapnel, nearly cut in half.

She sees again the black Geara Doga, using the same cruel thrusting maneuver used moments ago by the Hizack Custom against Kenta's Zeta-Plus, driving its beam saber through her father's GM-III, disintegrating 1Lt. Dominic Minh in the cockpit of his mobile suit.

She sees again her mother Sophie, crushed to death by the mass of her father's toppling mobile suit.

She sees again the black Geara Doga, launching that vicious strike again...and again...and again...and again….

"Degenerate…," the devilishly handsome visage of Alexander Miguel leers and taunts at her, the word echoing in her ears.

Jolie feels her entire body heating up dangerously, as if on fire...she emits an animalistic growl that builds into a terrifying shriek of rage.

"Jolie, wh…?!" Jonah cries out, alarmed.

"Minh…" Kenta begins.

"Oh, holy fucking shit..." Alexandria exhales.

Jolie draws out the Gundam G3's EPR and rushes the Hizack Custom. The monoeye of the Hizack swivels towards the approaching Gundam as does its own EPR.

The magnetized rods CLASH, pushing the two Earth Federation MS apart.

Once again, the Hizack Custom pulls back for another Miguelian forward shoulder jab thrust with its EPR, triggering a violent response from Jolie, who sweeps the Gundam G3's EPR in a vicious upward arc that would have bisected the Hizack Custom had the latter not anticipated the move and swung itself out of range of the deadly upward arc.

Undeterred, teeth clenched in a rictus of rage and hate, Jolie pulls back the EPR as if it were the _Minh Jian_ and launches the Gundam G3 towards the Hizack Custom again, its EPR extended and bearing down upon the Hizack Custom's upper torso.

The Hizack Custom once again dodges the wild strike, which does penetrate the hull of the EFSS _Virgil Grissom_...an unmanned, _Magellan_ -class battlecruiser repurposed as an unmanned, automated drone gunship.

The EPR of the Gundam G3 is deeply embedded into the hull of the _Virgil Grissom_ , which has lost all power and his listing. Fortunately for all concerned, the EPR did not penetrate the ship's nuclear fusion engine, which would have endangered the entire Luna 2 facility, but only a few decks where the _Grissom_ 's crew quarters were once located and now house assorted auxiliary systems to accommodate the ship's AI functions

Jolie attempts to pull her Gundam's EPR free, only to find the weapon magnetically entrapped in the warship's innards.

The Hizack Custom, responding to the Reaper Protocol AI, processes the Gundam G3's predicament as an opportunity to finish it, pulling its EPR back for one final, merciless jab strike.

Before the Hizack can unleash the strike, however, the G3 pulls its EPR free, swinging it around in a horizontal arc to strike the Hizack Custom on its side, analogous to where a human being's ribs would be set.

The monoeye of the Hizack Custom flickers for a moment and then goes dark.

Screaming like a banshee in excruciating pain, Jolie directs the Gundam G3 to pin the Hizack Custom's inert superstructure against the hull of the _Virgil Grissom_ , straddles the other mobile suit, and proceeds to punch and tear away at it with a frenzy that beggars description.

"RRRRRRRRRRRAGGGGGGGGHHHHH!" Jolie howls, in a voice that sounds more of a savage beast than a human as the hands of her Gundam G3 continue to tear and punch at what little remains of the Hizack, also gouging through the hull of the _Virgil Grissom_ beneath, dangerously close to the ship's nuclear fusion engines.

Jolie's eyes light up like twin flames, and she screams an inhuman scream as...something very strange happens.

"Alexandria! Captain Kenta do you see…?!" Jonah begins, horrified.

"Yeah, I see," Alexandria answers, but blinks in disbelief.

A white, luminous shape seemingly emanates from the Gundam G3. The few observers who witness it for the briefest of moments before the apparition fades are unsure if they are actually seeing it with their eyes or in their minds.

 _A white phoenix...screaming in rage and agony._

"Jolie, for fuck's sake, get a grip!" Alexandria says, having seen enough, maneuvering her GM Sniper close to pull the Gundam G3 away from the hull of the _Virgil Grissom._

It happens in the span of three seconds: the Gundam G3 spins on Alexandria's GM Sniper with demonic speed, reaching out at its companion mobile suit with its armored hand in the shape of a gouging claw. With the titanic strength befitting all Gundam-class mobile suits, the G3's fist/claw tears through the armor plating surrounding the cockpit of the GM Sniper II.

"Oh, shit," Alexandria grates as the combat computer verbally and textually alerts her to critical damage. The onboard systems flicker on and off as sparks fly within the cockpit and Alexandria is thrashed around. Alexandria tastes her own blood in her mouth and tries to see through the cracked visor of her helmet as she struggles to undo the restraint harness of the cockpit seat and abandon her mobile suit.

The cockpit of the GM Sniper II begins to close in around her, and Alexandria resigns herself to being crushed to death. Her world grows dark as a violent jolt pushes her helmeted head forward and slams it into the forward view screen.

The pressure around the cockpit compartment of the GM Sniper II increases, threatening to crush Cadet Alexandria Black into a bloody pulp within ten seconds, but abruptly, the pressure slackens.

RX-78-G3's systems shut down, the Gundam's eyes suddenly going dark. ALL of the cadets' mobile suits instantly and completely shut down, responding to a kill-switch override device that Kenta has activated from the cockpit of his Zeta-Plus.

The Gundam Alex approaches the two cadets' disabled mobile suits, pushing the disabled G3 clear and turning to give attention to Alexandria's GM Sniper II.

Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie assesses the situation from the cockpit of her RX-78NT1 Gundam Alex, biting out tersely, "The containment shell of nuclear fusion engine of Cadet Black's unit's been ruptured! No radiation leakage, but the suit's going blow!"

"Work fast, Chris," Kenta says, maneuvering the Zeta-Plus forward to retrieve Jolie's immobilized G3, "You've got about twenty seconds."

A pair of tool-mounted servo arms protrude from the right forearm of the Gundam Alex. The servo arms pry apart the hatch of the GM Sniper II's cockpit, straining for five seconds before the hatch abruptly snaps open.

Christina undoes the safety harness of her pilot's seat and opens the cockpit hatch of her Gundam Alex, drifting across a short expanse of infinite space to the now open cockpit of the GM Sniper II, which would be completely dark if not illuminated by an ominous orange behind the unmoving form of Cadet Alexandria Black.

Conscious that the seconds are rapidly peeling away, Christina dives forward into the GM Sniper II's cockpit, feeling the hellish heat of the ruptured nuclear fusion engine through the protection of her normal suit.

Quickly undoing the cockpit seat restraints, Christina pulls the unconscious Alexandria free of the seat, places Alexandria's right arm around her neck, and pushes with the soles of her boots against the seat to launch them both back towards her Gundam Alex.

Back aboard the Alex's cockpit with Alexandria, Christina closes the hatch and rockets the Alex clear with little more than five seconds left before the GM Sniper II disappears into a 500-meter balloon of superheated vapor and disintegrating shrapnel!

"Luna 2 Command," Kenta hails, "This is Captain Ryusuke Kenta. MS training squad returning to base. We're going to need emergency medical and security personnel. We have one cadet who's suffered multiple injuries, including likely concussion and second-degree burns. Another cadet is presently in a highly unstable and volatile emotional condition. Have support personnel meet me on the landing deck."

"Roger, Captain," Luna 2 Command acknowledges, "Medical and security personnel en route."

Kenta hails Christina, "Kenzie? How's Cadet Black?"

"Breathing," Christina answers from the Gundam Alex, "She's got some bad burns and is bleeding, but not too badly. We can save her if we get her to the medical wing soon enough."

"On the double," Kenta affirms.

Kenta spares a hard glare at the cockpit hatch of the limp Gundam G3 in his Zeta-Plus's grasp, picturing the caged wild animal within.

 _Goddamn it Minh..._

* * *

Two military EMT personnel help Lt. Col. Christina Mackenzie lower the gravely wounded Cadet Black from the cockpit of the Gundam Alex. The EMTs strap Alexandria to a gurney and wheel her to a waiting ambulance, to be taken to the base infirmary for emergency treatment.

Meanwhile, a ring of heavily armed MPs surround the cockpit of the Gundam G3, their weapons aimed towards the mobile suit's sealed cockpit.

Kenta approaches and waves the MPs off, "You guys form a safety perimeter...stay out of the cockpit's line of sight! Stand by, but do NOT fire your weapons! I'll handle this."

The MPs obey the senior officer's command, fanning out, clear of the cockpit's line of sight.

Kenta opens an access panel adjacent to the G3's cockpit hatch, keys in a code, and slips behind the side of the cockpit.

Two seconds later, a helmet comes hurtling out at lethal velocity, clattering across the deck some ten meters away.

Cadet Jolie Minh, her eyes wild and unfocused, lunges forward from the cockpit like an enraged tigress.

Kenta grabs hold of her ankle as she comes flying out and pushes off the side of the Gundam towards the hangar floor, where he slams her down hard, like a wet fish upon the deck of a ship. Immediately afterwards, he sits atop her abdomen, pinning her to the deck with his greater weight as the MPs rush forth.

Jolie thrashes helplessly under Kenta's grasp as he begins choking her. Her eyes flash with silvery energy, but those same eyes widen in horror as she sees what Ryusuke Kenta has become.

If she were able to breathe, Jolie would scream in mortal terror of what her irascible mentor has become...a demon with charred, blackened skin and yellow eyes.

The Devil himself.

Jonah and five burly MPs rush forward...and then it hits them. The five MPs, Oldtypes to a man, feel an indescribable sense of dread that gives them pause, and that none can explain.

Jonah, a high-level Newtype, perceives it much more acutely. His training officer, Captain Ryusuke Kenta of the Earth Federation Forces, is no longer present...at least in any form that Jonah can identify or recognize. In Kenta's place is an infernal figure aflame, but it is not a natural flame...not the mere exothermic oxidation of material, but something horrifyingly ineffable. For a moment, Jonah is paralyzed, rooted to the spot...then collapses to his knees.

Gathering his wits, Jonah reasons that the flame...is not actually flame. There's no heat, light, or smoke. Jolie is struggling in the Kenta demon's grasp, but she is evidently not burning.

Jonah turns his head to see the Pachis Twins and Maria...MARIA, one of the toughest characters he's ever met, cowering behind the legs of mobile suits, whimpering in terror. Were they sensing and seeing the same thing he was?

The flame spreads from Kenta and begins "burning" the metallic floor of the hangar...impossible as metal (especially this kind of metal) does not burn. Nor is the metal melting or otherwise reacting as it would to an ordinary flame. Soon, however, it engulfs the entire mobile suit hangar, turning the technologically advanced, ultramodern military facility into a hellish inferno...but again, the flames cannot be real...the mobile suits are cast in an eerie red glow, but do not otherwise show signs of damage.

 _What is this_? Jonah wonders.

A fire: a cruel, unforgiving flame that burns all it touches and fills the world with a violent roar. The scene will forever be burned into his mind. If he lives a hundred years, Jonah doubts that the image will ever fade from memory.

Jonah sees Jolie ineffectually attempting to claw back at Kenta...for the sake of her own life. Alas, his outstretched arms hold her beyond her reach as her vision begins to darken.

With every iota of willpower he can muster, Jonah attempts to crawl forth towards Kenta and Jolie, one agonizing centimeter at a time...

The MPs, less acutely affected, manage to reach Kenta. Straining with their collective muscle, the five men manage to pry open Kenta's fingers and drag him off of and away from Jolie.

Kenta throws the men off of him, snarling darkly "Get her out of my sight," before skulking away.

Jonah finally makes it to Jolie's side, cradling her gently.

Dazed, her consciousness fading, Jolie looks into Jonah's eyes momentarily before turning her head to see Captain Athena Ibaz approaching, then stopping in her tracks, a look of horror in the strawberry blonde officer's eyes.

Then, oblivion mercifully takes Jolie.

* * *

At Side 7, a young bespectacled boy no older than eight turns to the direction of Luna 2 with mismatched eyes; one a chocolate brown and the other blue steel. He grows concerned when he senses a strong rage as well as self-hatred from that direction. A near-black German Shepherd whines by his side.

"Mama? Papa?"

"John!" He heard as he turns to a bespectacled blonde woman with eyes the same brown as his. He can tell she feels the same strong emotions, too.

"Get your sisters! We're heading into Luna 2! All of us!"


End file.
